15-2-the-behavior-of-electromagnetic-radiation_summary

The section "The Behavior of Electromagnetic Radiation" primarily focuses on the characteristics and behavior of electromagnetic waves, as well as their propagation in different media and various phenomena related to their interactions, such as refraction, interference, and polarization. Students are expected to understand the following concepts: 1. The speed of electromagnetic radiation (light) in a vacuum is a fundamental constant represented by the symbol c, which is approximately 3.00 x 10^8 m/s. This speed is much faster than that of sound. 2. When light travels through different media, its speed changes, but it always travels slower than in a vacuum. The principles of refraction are introduced to explain how light changes direction when it travels from one medium to another. 3. Thin-film interference occurs when light is both refracted and reflected from a thin film. This phenomenon results in the separation of rainbow colors in various everyday objects, such as soap bubbles, oil slicks, and compact discs. 4. Polarized light involves electromagnetic waves with an electric field component vibrating in only one specific plane. Polarizing filters like sunglasses can block various polarizations, making them useful for reducing glare. 5. The inverse square law can be used to describe how the illuminance, or the light intensity at a specific point, decreases with the square of the distance from the light source. The section also includes several quantitative problems that involve the speed of light, frequency, wavelength, and luminous flux calculations, helping students solve practical problems related to the behavior of electromagnetic radiation.