Scribd
Upload
6 views

Light and Lens

1. Reflection and refraction are the two main ways that light interacts with matter. Reflection involves light bouncing off a surface, following the laws of reflection. Refraction involves the bending of light when passing from one medium to another with a different density, following Snell's law. 2. Total internal reflection occurs when light passes from a denser to a less dense medium at an angle greater than the critical angle, causing the light to be completely reflected within the denser medium. 3. A converging lens causes light rays to converge at a focal point on the focal plane using the optical properties of the lens defined by its focal length and optical center. Ray diagrams can be used to determine image locations

Uploaded by

ashleycyh1992
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views

Light and Lens

1. Reflection and refraction are the two main ways that light interacts with matter. Reflection involves light bouncing off a surface, following the laws of reflection. Refraction involves the bending of light when passing from one medium to another with a different density, following Snell's law. 2. Total internal reflection occurs when light passes from a denser to a less dense medium at an angle greater than the critical angle, causing the light to be completely reflected within the denser medium. 3. A converging lens causes light rays to converge at a focal point on the focal plane using the optical properties of the lens defined by its focal length and optical center. Ray diagrams can be used to determine image locations

Uploaded by

ashleycyh1992
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Physics (Light and Lens)

1. Reflection: Is the bouncing of light rays off a surface.

Laws of Reflection (for all reflecting surfaces, like curved mirrors and uneven / rough surfaces)
a) The first law states that the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal to the surface of the mirror
at the point of incidence all lie in the same plane.
b) The second law states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, i.e i = r.
** For regular reflection (on smooth surfaces), the reflection of all incident rays is parallel. However, for
diffused reflection (on rough surfaces), parallel incident rays are reflected in all different directions.

Characteristics of Images on Plane Mirror


a) Same size
b) Laterally inverted
c) Upright
d) Virtual
e) Image distance = Object distance

Applications of Reflection: Periscope


It is used to look over high obstacles, whereby the second mirror reverses the lateral inversion caused
by the first mirror, causing the final image to appear without lateral inversion

2. Refraction: Is the bending of light rays as light travels from one optical medium to another due to
the change in the speed of light in different medium.

Laws of Refraction
a) The first law states that the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal to the boundary between
the optical media all lie in the same plane.
** A light ray bends towards the normal when it passes from a less dense medium to a denser medium,
and bends away from the normal when it passes from a denser medium to a less dense medium.

b) The second law (Snell’s Law) states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of
!"# $
the angle of refraction for any two given media is a constant, i.e. !"# % = constant.
** The constant is also known as the refractive
index of the denser medium (second medium) if the
light ray moves from a less dense medium (first
medium) to a denser medium (second medium).
!"# $
a) ! =
!"# %
&
b) ! = ' where c is the speed of light in vacuum
(3 × 108 m/s); v is the speed of light in medium
()*+ -)./0
c) ! = 1..*%)2/ -)./0

Note: ! is always larger than or equal to 1.


** If the angle of incidence is 0°, refraction does not
occur (but the image appears shallower).
3. Total Internal Reflection: Is the complete reflection of light rays inside a denser medium at the
boundary with a less dense medium.

Critical Angle c: Is the angle of incidence in a denser medium


such that the angle of refraction in the less dense medium is 90°.
3
a) ! = !"# &

** Both reflection and refraction occur below critical angle.


Conditions for Total Internal Reflection
a) The light ray travels from a denser medium to a less dense medium, and strikes at its boundary.
b) The angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle of the denser medium.
** When an incident ray is reflected back into the same medium (total internal reflection), the refracted
ray observed is not as bright as only a small part of the ray is refracted since most of the incident ray is
reflected away at an angle of reflection equal to the angle of incidence.

Applications of Total Internal Reflection: Fibre Optics


3
The fibre optics have high optical density. The critical angle is relatively small (since ! = !"# &). Light
does not refract and escape from the side of the fibre optics as the angle of incidence is easily larger
than the critical angle. Light travelling from a denser medium to a less dense medium undergoes total
internal reflection, thus images are transferred from one point to another.

4. Lens: As light passes through a converging lens, the light rays converge at a point along the focal
plane (usually focal point).

Parts of Converging Lens:


a) Principal Axis: Is the horizontal line that is perpendicular to the vertical plane that passes through the
optical centre of the lens.
b) Optical Centre: Is the midpoint between the surfaces of the lens on its principal axis.
c) Focal Point (F): Is the point where all the light rays parallel to the principal axis converge to after
refraction by the lens.
d) Focal Plane: Is the plane that passes through the focal point and is perpendicular to the principal
axis
e) Focal Length (f): Is the distance between the optical centre and the focal point.

** If a part of the converging lens is blocked, the intensity of the image formed decreases.
Ray Diagrams of Converging Lens
a) Any incident light ray that passes through the optical centre of the lens does not refract.
b) Any incident light ray parallel to the principal axis is refracted and passes through the focal point F.
c) Any incident light ray that passes through focal point F before the lens is refracted parallel to the
principal axis.

** Ray Diagram (Variation A): To find the image of an object without knowing the focal point
1. With only one light ray that emerges and refracts from the object, extend the known light ray (draw
dotted lines if going backwards).
2. Draw another light ray from the object that passing through the focal point.
3. The image formed is the point of intersection of the 2 light rays.

** Ray Diagram (Variation B): To find the focal point of the lens
1. Draw a light ray from the top of the image to the point where the horizontal line from the top of the
object intersects with the lens.
2. The focal point is the point of intersection on the principal axis where the light ray meets.

You might also like