Match the behavior of light on different types of matter. The task is to match the lettered items with the correct numbered items. Appearing below is a list of lettered items. Following that is a list of numbered items. Each numbered item is followed by a drop-down. Select the letter in the drop down that best matches the numbered item with the lettered alternatives. a. Allows light to pass through and scatters it as it passes through. b. Does not let light pass through. c. Allows light to pass right through without being scattered. 1. Solid c 2. Liquid a 3. Gas

A beam of light (implicitly a plane wave) in vacuum or in an isotropic medium propagates in the particular fixed direction specified by its Poynting vector until it encounters the interface with a different medium. The light causes the charges (electrons, atoms, or molecules) in the medium to oscillate and thus emit additional light waves  that can travel in any direction (over the sphere of 4π steradians of solid angle). The  oscillating particles vibrate at the frequency of the incident light and re-emit energy  as light of that frequency (this is the mechanism of light “scattering”). If the emitited light is “out of phase” with the incident light (phase difference ∼= ±π radians),  then the two waves interfere destructively and the original beam is attenuated. If the  attenuation is nearly complete, the incident light is said to be “absorbed.” Scattered  light may interfere constructively with the incident light in certain directions, forming  beams that have been reflected and/or transmitted. The constructive interference of  the transmitted beam occurs at the angle that satisfies Snell’s law; while that after  reflection occurs for θreflected = θincident. The mathematics are based on Maxwell’s  equations for the three waves and the continuity conditions that must be satisfied  at the boundary. The equations for these three electromagnetic waves are not difficult to derive, though the process is somewhat tedious. The equations determine the  properties of light on either side of the interface and lead to the phenomena of:

1. Equal angles of incidence and reflection;

2. Snell’s Law that relates the incident and refracted wave;

3. Relative intensities of the three waves;

4. Relative phases of the three light waves; and

5. States of polarization of the three waves.

Explanation:

we can conclude that the melting point of table salt is above room temperature (it's actually 801 deg c). the melting point of mercury must be below room temperature (- 39 deg c).