Glossary

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w

calorimeter - special containers used to measure the exchange of heat when substances are mixed.

cataracts - occurs when the lens in the eye becomes hard and cloudy thus reducing vision. Cataracts usually occur in older people.

center of curvature (C) - the center of a spherical reflecting surface.

chromatic aberration - the dispersion of light in lenses causes different colors to be focused at different places, causing the image to appear ringed with color.

ciliary muscles - together with the suspensory ligament control the size of the pupil which lets in variable amounts of light.

closed air column - a column of air inside a pipe or box where one end is open and the other end is closed.

cochlea - a snail shaped organ in the inner ear that transmit sound vibrations to about 23,000 hair cells located inside. These hair cells convert physical vibrations into electric signals which are then sent to the brain and interpreted as sound.

complimentary colours - a primary and secondary color that will produce white when mixed.

compound filters - absorbs all colours but allows the principle colour and the colours adjacent to be transmitted. (eg. a compound blue filter will only let blue and some green and indigo to pass through.)

compressions - the region in a longitudinal wave where particles are closer together then normal.

concave mirror - a mirror with a surface that converges reflected rays.

condenser - a combination of 2 or more lenses in slide or movie projectors designed to produce parallel rays of light illuminating the slide or film.

conduction - the transfer of energy (usually in solids) as particles collide with each other.

cones - structures on the retina that are sensitive to bright light and color. There are 3 types of cones - ones sensitive to red, ones sensitive to blue and ones sensitive to green.

constructive interference - two crests or two troughs interfere to produce a resultant displacement greater than the displacement by either wave itself.

convection - the transfer of energy (in liquids and gases) by currents due to a difference in densities of substances at different temperatures.

converging lens - a lens that is thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges.

convex mirror - a mirror with a surface that diverges or spreads reflected rays.

cornea - the outer, transparent, dome-like structure that causes the initial refraction of light.

crest - the top of a transverse wave.

critical angle - a unique angle of incidence that results in a refracted angle of 90°. This only happens when light passes into a more optically dense medium.

cycle - one complete oscillation or vibration of a wave.

Top of Page