Chapter 19 - Light, Color, and Atmospheric Optics

Index of topics:

• Why do objects have color:
  • example of a white object
  • example of a red object
  • example of a black object
• What can happen to light in the atmosphere:
  • reflection
  • scattering:
    • mie scattering
    • rayleigh scattering
    • clouds and blue sky
  • crepuscular rays
  • effect of scattering on sunrises and sunsets:
    • clean atmosphere
    • dirty atmosphere
  • transmission
  • refraction
    • effect on time of sunrise and sunset
    • twilight
    • the green flash
    • inferior mirages
    • superior mirages
    • halos
    • tangent arcs
    • sun dogs
    • rainbows, introduction
      • refraction and reflection in water drops
      • the primary rainbow
      • the secondary rainbow
  • Diffraction
    • corona
    • iridescence
• Review Questions
• Homework
• practice quiz