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Refraction

Refraction is the bending of light when passing from one medium to another of different optical density. It is caused by a change in the speed of light. Some key phenomena related to refraction include atmospheric refraction, mirages, and stellar scintillation. The index of refraction is a ratio that compares the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in a material. It follows Snell's law and the laws of refraction. Total internal reflection occurs when light passes from an optically denser medium to a less dense one at an angle greater than the critical angle. It has applications in optical fibers and chandeliers. Lenses use refraction to bend light rays and form images.

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13 views

Refraction

Refraction is the bending of light when passing from one medium to another of different optical density. It is caused by a change in the speed of light. Some key phenomena related to refraction include atmospheric refraction, mirages, and stellar scintillation. The index of refraction is a ratio that compares the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in a material. It follows Snell's law and the laws of refraction. Total internal reflection occurs when light passes from an optically denser medium to a less dense one at an angle greater than the critical angle. It has applications in optical fibers and chandeliers. Lenses use refraction to bend light rays and form images.

Uploaded by

jana
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REFRACTION

Refraction is the change in the velocity of


light when it passes from one medium to
another of different optical density.
Light travels slowly in an optically dense
medium.
• Common refraction phenomena
Atmospheric Refraction

Moon Ring Stellar Scintillation


Mirage ( Mirror Image)

Road wetness
Index of Refraction (n)
• Index of refraction of a substance is the ratio
of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed
of light in the substance.

c
n =
v
Speed of em waves

v = µε
Index of Refraction of Some Common
Materials
• Material n
• Air 1.0003
• Ice (at 0oC) 1.309
• Water 1.33
• Fused quartz 1.46
• Glass (crown) 1.523
• Sapphire 1.77
• Zirconium 2.2
• Diamond 2.419
Examples
• Calculate the speed of light in diamond.
n=c/v 2.419= 3x108m/s/v
v=1.24x108m/s
• A glass plate (n = 1.5) has a thickness of
4.0x10-3m. Find the speed of light in glass and
the time it takes light to pass perpendicularly
through the plate.
v=(3x108m/s) /1.5=2x108m/s t=4x10-
3m/2x108m/s=2x10-11s=200ns
LAWS OF REFRACTION
1.The incident ray, the refracted ray and the
normal lie in one plane.
2. When a ray of light passes obliquely from an
optically denser medium to less dense
medium, it is refracted away from the normal.
• When a ray of light passes obliquely from an
optically less dense medium to denser
medium, it is refracted towards the normal.
• At perpendicular incidence, no bending of
light ray occurs.
3. Snell’s Law, named after the Dutch
astronomer and mathematician
Willebrord Snell, states that
n1sin θ1 = n2 sin θR
where n1 refers to the index of refraction
of first medium and n2 the index of
refraction of second medium.
Examples:
1. A ray of light travels from air into a liquid at
an angle of incidence of 30o. If it is deviated
by 10o, what is the speed of light in the
liquid? n of liquid is greater than n of air.
1(sin 30o)=n2 sin20o n2 =1.46
1.46=(3x108m/s )/v v=2.05x108m/s
1. A light ray in air is incident on a water surface at 43oangle of incidence. Find
the angle of reflection and angle of refraction. n of water=1.33

Angle of reflection=43o
Using Snell’s Law: 1(sin 43o)=1.33 sin θR θR =30.85o
3. Arthur Podd's method of fishing involves spearing the fish
while standing on the shore. The actual location of a fish is
shown in the diagram below. Because of the refraction of
light, the observed location of the fish is different than its
actual location. Indicate on the diagram the approximate
location where Arthur observes the fish to be. Must Arthur
aim above or below where the fish appears to be in order to
strike the fish? (The Physics Classroom Tutorial)
•
Answer
• Arthur must aim at a position on the water
below where the fish appears to be. Since
light refracts away from the normal (water to
air) as Arthur sights at the fish, the refracted
ray when extended backwards passes over the
head of where the fish actually is.
Shallowing Effect of Refraction
• Perpendicular Incidence

This archer fish knows his physics!


Source:The Physics Classroom
Tutorials
real depth
n =
apparent depth

Example: A person working on the transmission of a car


accidentally drops a bolt into a tray of oil. The oil is 5.00cm
deep. The bolt appears to be 3.40 cm beneath the surface of oil
when viewed directly from above. What is the index of
refraction of the oil?
n=5cm/3.4cm=1.47
5cm oil App depth= 5cm/1.5= 3.33cm
n=1.5

5cm water
App depth= 5cm/1.3= 3.85cm
n=1.3

App depth of object = 3.33+3.85


7.18cm
TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION
• Conditions:
1. Light travels from denser to less dense
medium
2. The angle of incidence must be greater than
critical.
Critical Angle- angle of incidence where the
angle of refraction is equal to 90o.
• The critical angle may be determined using Snell’s
law. Suppose light passes from a denser medium
whose index of refraction is n1 to a second less dense
medium with an index of refraction n2.
n1sin θc = n2 sin 90o
sin90o = 1. Therefore
• n2 -1 n2
• sin q C = q C = sin
n1 n1
•
If air is the second medium :
•
-1 1
q C = sin
n1
When a ray of light passes obliquely from a denser medium to a less
dense medium, it is refracted away from the normal. A) If the angle
of incidence is less than the critical angle, then it is refracted in
accordance with the laws of refraction. B) If the angle of incidence
is equal to the critical angle, the refracted ray is along the boundary
between medium 1 and medium 2. Angle of refraction is 90o. C) If
the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle light is totally
reflected back to the first medium with an angle of reflection equal
to the angle of incidence. (ELTS: Physics)
1. What is the critical angle for diamond –air
interface? B) What happens to light if it
strikes the interface at an angle of incidence
of 20.5o? C) What if the angle of incidence is
30.6o?- light will reflected at 30.6o of
reflection
n
−1 2 −1
θ c = sin = sin 1/ 2.419 = 24.44 o

n1

b) Light will be refracted. 2.419sin20.5o=1 sin θR


2.419sin20.5o=1sinθR θR =57.9o
• For glass-air interface, θc=41.8o
• Glass-water interface, θc=62o
• Diamond water interface θc=33.4o
• . What is the critical angle for diamond-water
interface? Where will diamond sparkle more
in air or when in water?
• θc=sin-1 (1.33/2.419)=33.35o (diamond-water)
• θc=sin-1 (1.33/1.523)=60.8o (glass-water)
Applications
Total internal reflection is also
utilized in the design of
chandeliers. Crystal glass
instead of ordinary glass is
often used because it has a
higher index of refraction
The higher index of refraction
and the intricate cut of the
glass pieces make the chandelier
more sparkling.
• An optical fiber consists of an inner core and outer cladding.
The core is made of transparent material of high index of
refraction. The cladding is also made of a transparent material
but of a lesser index of refraction. Light is admitted through
one end of the core. Each time the light strikes the
core/cladding interface, it is reflected back to the core. Hence
the light can be made to travel in a zigzag path throughout the
entire length of the fiber.
• Because optical fibers are lighter and less
prone to electrical interference and tapping,
they are used in telecommunications instead
of metal cables. Optical fibers are also used by
doctors to examine internal body sites.
APPLICATIONS OF OPTICAL FIBERS
Lithotripsy
Refraction Through Parallel Plates

θ2 θ3

The emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray


but displaced from it.
Proof

n1 sin q1 = n 2 sin q 2
n 2 sin q 3 = n1 sin q 4
But q 2 = q 3
Therefore : n1 sin q1 = n1 sin q 4
q1 = q 4
SPHERICAL LENSES
• Lenses that are thicker at the middle than at
the edges are convex lenses. Convex lenses
are converging lenses.

• Lenses that are thicker at the edges than at


the middle are concave lenses.
Convex lens- converging
Concave lens-diverging
Parts of a Lens
Ray Tracing for Spherical Lenses
1. Ray parallel to the principal axis passes
through or when extended appears to pass
through the principal focus.
2. Ray passing through the optical center of the
lens is not deviated.
3. Ray passing through or when extended
appears to pass through the principal focus
is refracted parallel to the principal axis.
Concave Lens Images
• For any object distance from the lens, the
image formed by a concave lens is virtual,
upright, smaller than the object and located
on the same side of the lens as the object.

Construct the rays to form the image for a lens with


focal length -10 cm and an object that is placed at a
distance of 10 cm from the lens. What type of image did
you get?
Convex Lens Images
• The type of image formed by a convex lens
depends on the object distance. It can be real
or virtual; inverted or upright ; bigger , same
size or smaller than the object.
• Exercise : Draw ray diagrams for different
object positions.
LENS EQUATIONS AND MAGNIFICATION

1 1 1
= +
f do di

height of image di
m= =-
height of object do
BEER-LAMBERT’S LAW

− µC
I = I oe where I=intensity of transmitted light
Io is the original intensity
C= concentration
µ =attenuation coefficient
Inverse Square Law for Intensity

• I1d12 =I2 d22

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