#AP Physics 2: Optics - The Night Before 🌟

Hey there, future physicist! Let's get you prepped and confident for your AP Physics 2 exam with a super-focused review of optics. We're going to make sure everything clicks, so you can walk in tomorrow feeling like a light-bending pro! 💡

#Unit 6: Geometric and Physical Optics

This unit is all about light—how it behaves as a wave and how we can use it to create images. We'll dive into two main areas:

1. Geometric Optics: How light interacts with lenses and mirrors.
2. Physical Optics: The wave nature of light and its interactions.

Remember, optics is a big part of the exam, so let's make sure you've got this! Focus on both the concepts and the math.

Jump to Geometric Optics Jump to Physical Optics

#6.1 & 6.2: Light as a Wave and Electromagnetic Waves

#Key Concepts

• Light Waves: Oscillations of electric and magnetic fields.
• Electromagnetic Radiation: Light is part of the EM spectrum, which includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, UV, X-rays, and gamma rays.
• No Medium Needed: EM waves can travel through a vacuum (unlike sound). 🚀

#Wave Properties

• Wavelength (λ): Distance between wave peaks (meters, nm).
• Frequency (f): Number of waves passing a point per second (Hz).
• Amplitude (A): Height of the wave (strength of the fields).

#The Relationship

• Speed of Light (c): $c = \lambda f$ (c ≈ 3 x 10⁸ m/s in a vacuum).

#Visualizing EM Spectrum

#6.3: Periodic Waves

#What are Periodic Waves?

• Waves that repeat in space and time.
• Characterized by wavelength (λ) and period (T).
• Frequency (f) is the inverse of the period: $f = 1/T$.

#Mathematical Description

• Sinusoidal function: $y(x, t) = A \sin(kx - \omega t + \phi)$
  • A = amplitude
  • k ...