The behavior of light waves is introduced and discussed. Also, polarization, color, diffraction, and interference are introduced and discussed thoroughly as supporting evidence of the wave nature of light.
"How Do We Know Light Behaves as a Wave?" An answer is provided in this discussion of the polarization of light and the use of Polaroid filters in sunglasses. The four methods discussed on this page are: polarization by transmission, polarization by reflection, polarization by refraction, and polarization by scattering.
The concept of potential energy is explained along with the two forms of potential energy: elastic and gravitational. Discusses what gravitational potential energy is, explains the direct relationship between it and mass and height, and gives the equation for its computation, along with an example.
An explanation of and animation depicting the propagation of an electromagnetic wave through a material medium.
This tutorial looks at the anatomy of the eye and how the sense of sight works. This is the first part of a learning module. Subsequent sections cover how images are formed and detected, the concept of accommodation where the eye adjusts its focus, and how farsightedness and nearsightedness are corrected. Includes detailed calculations using physics formulas, e.g., to find the quantitative relationship between the object distance, image distance, and focal length.
The law of reflection is discussed and explained, accompanied by an animation depicting this law. Includes a list of links to detailed information about certain types of reflections.
This resource provides a detailed explanation of a resultant, in terms of vectors. Content also includes helpful examples.
This physics tutorial invites users to discover that sound is a mechanical wave. Be sure click on the animation for further study.
This physics tutorial invites users to discover how sound is a pressure wave. Be sure to view the animation.
This informative tutorial on Coulomb's Law and electric force in physics features a definition as well as formulas, diagrams, and learning exercises.
How light waves demonstrate their wave nature by reflection, refraction, and diffraction.
This page explores the quantitative relationship between work and mechanical energy in situations in which there are no external forces doing work. It is a basic analysis of situations in which mechanical energy is conserved. Examples are given and worked through and some practice problems are given.