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Behaviors of Light Waves

Question 1
Part A
Ms. Mahon's students are studying the behavior of light. She told them to put a pencil in a beaker of water, make observations, and then draw what they observed. One group drew the picture seen here. Ms. Mahon explained that when light passes from air into the water, the light waves bend, or ___________, and the pencil appears to be broken. This is because the
Responses
A diffract; water causes light waves to spread outdiffract; water causes light waves to spread out
B refract; medium changes density and the light waves slow downrefract; medium changes density and the light waves slow down
C reflect; change in medium from air to water cause the waves to bouncereflect; change in medium from air to water cause the waves to bounce
D diffract; the change from air to water causes the light waves to change speeddiffract; the change from air to water causes the light waves to change speed
Question 2
Part B
Ms. Mahon had the students try another experiment regarding the behavior of waves. Students paired up and each student held one end of a rope. Then they move their ropes, making snake-like waves. One group sketched two waves traveling down the length of their rope in opposite directions.

What will happen when the waves meet? What will the new sketch look like?

Responses
A destructive interference; a straight linedestructive interference; a straight line
B constructive interference; one large wave crestconstructive interference; one large wave crest
C destructive interference; one smaller crest and one smaller troughdestructive interference; one smaller crest and one smaller trough
D constructive interference; a much larger crest and a much larger troughconstructive interference; a much larger crest and a much larger trough

Answer 1

Question 1

Part A

When light passes from air into water, the light waves bend or refract, and the pencil appears to be broken. This is because the medium changes density and the light waves slow down.

Correct Response: B refract; medium changes density and the light waves slow down

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Question 2

Part B

When the waves made by the students meet, they can interfere with each other. Depending on how the waves align, they can either add together (constructive interference) or cancel each other out (destructive interference). If we assume that they are aligned such that they cancel each other out, the result would be:

Destructive interference; a straight line

Correct Response: A destructive interference; a straight line

If they were aligned such that they reinforced each other, it would create a larger wave, but based on typical wave interactions, the straight line indicates destructive interference.

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In summary:

• Question 1: B
• Question 2: A