Physics 11: Chapter 17-Reflection +

Refraction
17.1- How Light Behaves at a Boundary
THE LAW

OF

REFLECTION

When a beam of light strikes most surfaces, it reflects in many

directions.
Diffuse Reflection- the reflection of light into many directions
by a rough object.
Regular Reflection- when a beam of light falls on a very
smooth surface
REFRACTION OF LIGHT
Light travels at different speeds in different media.
If the speed of one medium is slower than the speed in another,
the medium is said to be more optically dense.
Refraction- the change in direction of the light ray when passing
from one medium to another (only occurs when incident ray
strikes the boundary at a non-zero angle).
o If the ray is zero (perpendicular), the ray slows down but
passes straight through.
The angle between the incident ray to the normal is i
The angle between the refracted ray and the same normal is r
When a ray enters a more optically dense medium where they
travel more slowly, the refracted rays bend toward the normal.
o Angle of refraction is smaller than angle of incidence
When a ray enters a less optically dense medium where they
travel faster, the light bends/refracts away from the normal
o Angle if refraction is larger than angle of incidence

SNELLS LAW
The relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of
refraction
The law states that a ray of light bends in such a way that the
ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle
of refraction is a constant.
Index of refraction (n) is the ratio of the speed of light in
vacuum (empty space) to its speed in a material
o The index of refraction value of a material is a number that
indicates the number of times slower that a light wave
would be in that material than it is in a vacuum.
o The index of refraction, n, of a material medium describes
how fast light travels through that medium in relation to
the speed of light in vacuum.
For a ray travelling from a vacuum into another medium,
sin i
Snells Law can be written as; n=
sin r
i = angle of incidence
i = angle of refraction
n = index of refraction of the medium
Remember that this only applies to a ray
travelling from a vacuum into another medium.
For a ray traveling from one medium into another,
Snells Law can be written as; ni sin i=n r sin r
ni = index of refraction of the incident medium
nr = index of refraction of the second medium
i = angle of refraction
i = angle of refraction
INDEX REFRACTION AND THE SPEED OF LIGHT
Refraction occurs because the medium it travels influences the
speed of light.
The index of refraction is a measure of the amount that light
bends when passing into the medium from a vacuum.
c
o The index of refraction for any substance is: n s=
vs
n= index of refraction
c= speed of light in vacuum (3.00 x 108 m/s)
vs= speed of light in the substance
Can also change the equation to vs= c/ns

17.2- Applications of Reflected and Refracted

Light
TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION

Recall that when light goes from a more dense medium to air,
the light is bent away from the normal (angle of refraction is
larger than angle of incidence)
Total Internal Reflection occurs when light passes from a more
optically dense medium to a less optically dense medium at an
angle so great that there is no refracted ray.
When the incident ray of light passing from water to air makes an
angle of 48.8o, the angle of refraction is 90o.
Critical Angle is when the incident angle causes the refracted
ray to lie right along the boundary of the substance, angle
Any ray that reaches the surface of water at an angle greater
than the critical angle c, cannot leave the water
o To calculate the critical angle
ni sin i=n r sin r

i= c; nr= 1.000; and r= 90o (critical angle)

( 1.00 ) ( sin 90.0 o ) 1
sin c =
=
ni
ni
1
=0.658
sin c =
1.52
c = 41.1o
EFFECTS

OF

REFRACTION