Human Eye and Colourful World

Refraction through a prism

Light bends because of refraction that takes place at points B and C .
The extent of deviation of the light ray from its path BE to path CD is known as the
angle of deviation ( )

The splitting of a beam of white light into its seven constituent colours, when it passes
through a glass prism, is called the dispersion of light.

Red Disperses least

Violet Disperses most
Yellow Average of all lights
Formation of rainbow is a natural phenomenon in which white sunlight splits into beautiful
colours by water droplets.

Flickering of objects - this is because the air above the fire is relatively hotter than the air

further up in the atmosphere.

Twinkling of stars caused by changing air density in the atmosphere
Early sunrise and delayed sunset caused by refraction of light through the atmosphere

The sun and the planets do not twinkle because they are not seen as point sources like
stars, but are considered as extended sources.

The phenomenon of scattering of light by the colloidal particle gives rise to Tyndall effect.
Atmospheric particles, smoke, tiny water droplets, suspended particles of dust, and air
molecules scatter sunlight. Therefore, the path of light becomes visible.
Sky is blue- because light near blue wavelength scatters most.
Danger signs are red in colour- because red light scatters least.

Human eye

The image forms on retina.

Iris controls the size of pupil.
Pupil controls the amount of light.
Blind spot
The junction of optic nerve and the retina is called blind spot.
No sensory cells are there. Therefore, no vision is possible.
Impression of an image persists for

second in our brain.

Cone cells are sensitive to bright light and rod cells are sensitive to dim light.
Vitamin A (raw carrots, broccoli, green vegetables, cod-liver oil, etc.) is necessary for good

vision.
To protect your eyes, the following points should be remembered:
Avoid reading in dim light.
Wash your eyes at least four times a day with clean and cold water.
Wash your eyes quickly if dust particles or small insects enter your eye.
Visit an eye specialist regularly. Improper vision can cause stress, eyestrain, and
even headaches.
While reading, maintain a distance of atleast 25 cm between your eyes and the book.
Do not rub your eyes. If redness in the eye persists, then consult an eye specialist
immediately.
Avoid direct exposure to sunlight. Exposure to a large amount of light can harm your
retina.

Power of accommodation
Ability of the lens to adjust its focal length
Thickness of the lens is controlled by ciliary muscles
Nearest focal distance of lens = 25 cm

Defects
Myopia/near-sightedness
Problem: Distant objects cannot be seen clearly
Image is formed in front of the retina
Correction concave lens

Hypermetropia/far-sightedness
Problem: Near objects are not seen clearly
Image formed beyond the retina
Correction convex lens

Presbyopia Near-focus distance increases with age

Power of accommodation decreases

Correction bi-focal lens

Refraction through a Prism

When light passes through a prism , it suffers two refractions .
The net deviation suffered by the ray when it passes through the prism of angle A is given
by .
Relation between the angle of incidence i , angle of emergence e, the angle of prism and
the net deviation is given by A+=i+e.
The deviation of the light ray through the prism is minimum when angle of incidence (i)
is i=A+m2.
For the minimum deviation, angle of incidence at both the surfaces of the prism are
equal.
The prism formula is given as =sin(A+m)/2sinA/2.
where m is the minimum deviation of the light when passed through prism.