: DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE :

Subject : PHYSICS [10 SET B] NOTES : REFLACTION & REFRACTION OF LIGHT :

NAME OF THE STUDENT : ____________________________________ Date : 27/10/2013

Refraction of Light Waves : -

The bending of light, when it passes from one medium to another medium is called refraction.
The bending is caused because of the difference in density (refractive index) between two
medium.
During refraction, speed, wavelength and direction of light changes but the frequency remains the
same. N N

I n c id e n t r a y I n c id e n t r a y

Ii Ii

A ir (R a r e r m e d iu m )
G la s s (D e n s e r M e d iu m )
S u r f a c e o f s e p a r a tio n ( S .O .S ) S u r f a c e o f s e p a r a ti o n ( S .O .S )

A ir (R a r e r m e d iu m ) G la s s ( D e n s e r M e d iu m )
R e fr a c te d r a y A c tu a l P a th o f t h e in c id e n t r a y
Ir
Ir
A c t u a l P a t h o f t h e in c i d e n t r a y
A n g l e o f d e v ia t io n
A n g le o f d e v ia t io n

N R e fr ac ted ra y
N

[i] Rarer medium to Denser medium.

When light passes from rarer (air) to denser medium (glass, water), it bends towards the normal.
Angle of incidence (i) is greater than the angle of refraction (r).
Speed and wavelength decreases and frequency remains the same.
[ii] Denser medium to Rarer medium.
When light passes from denser (glass, water) to rarer (air) medium to it bends away from the normal.
Angle of incidence (i) is less than the angle of refraction (r).
Speed and wavelength increases and frequency remains the same.

D iff u s e d li g h t

[iii] An incident ray normal to the surface of separation (i = 0 0), is

not refracted, it passes or emerges out as a straight ray.
When light rays falls on a transparent surface, some part of it is reflected, refracted and absorbed
as shown in Fig.
 In c id e n t R a y

Ii
A ir SO S

G la ss
R e fra c te d R a y in G la s s
Ir

Ii

Ir
E m e rg e n t R a y in a ir
(R e fra c te d R a y )
N

[iv] Double Refraction :

When a ray of light falls on a glass-slab, double refraction takes place.
First refraction is from air to glass (at surface AB) and the second refraction is from glass to
air (at surface CD).
The emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray but it is displaced from its original path.

Refractive index (Snells Law): -

Refractive index is the ratio of the speed of light in air or vacuum to the speed of light in
medium.
It is denoted by n and it has no unit.
Speed of light in air or vacuum
Refractive index, n
Speed of light in medium

It is also given by :
sin i
n
sin r
(1) Rarer medium to Denser medium,

sin r
n
sin i
(2) Denser to Rarer medium,

1
n
sin C
(3) Denser to Rarer medium, , where C = critical angle

A n g le o f d e v ia tio n

T ria n g u la r p ris m
F ig . (A )
[iv] Refraction in a Prism :
 In a triangular prism the deviation (bending) of a ray due to refraction at the first surface is
added to the deviation at the second surface, Fig (a) bellow.
The angle by which an emergent ray is deviated from the actual path of the incident ray is
called the angle of deviation.
Dispersion of Light Waves : -
W h ite s c r e e n

R ed
O ran g e
Y e llo w
G ree n S p e c tru m
B lu e
T ria n g u la r p ris m
In d ig o
V io le t

When sunlight (white light) falls on a triangular glass prism

a band of colors called spectrum is obtained.
This effect is known as dispersion of light.
Dispersion occurs because white light is a mixture of many colors which are separated by the
prism because the refractive index of glass is different for each color.
Refractive index of glass is greatest for violet color, so it bends the most and lowest for the
red color, so it bends the list.
Sir Issac Newton 1666.
: MONOCHROMATIC LIGHT :
A
B C
M o n o c h ro m a tic lig h t

Q D
P R
S

A light of only one color or one frequency or one wavelength is called monochromatic light.
When a monochromatic light ray incidents on a prism it is just refracted from both the surface
and deviates from its original path, as shown in the fig. bellow.
Monochromatic light PQ incidents on the prism at point Q is refracted as ray QR in the prism
and is again refracted at R and emerges out as ray RS.
Another monochromatic ray AB enters the prism along the normal at B and it travels without
refraction as ray BC in the prism.
This ray is refracted at C by the prism and emerges out as ray CD.

If the angle of incident inside the glass is 42 o, it is refracted at 90 o to the SOS.

If the angle of incident is greater than 42 o , it is totally internally reflected.

: CRITICAL ANGLE AND TOTAL INTERNAL REFRACTION :

 A ir

N R efra cted ra y
N
N
S O S
0
90

I i= c Ii > c

W a ter R e fle c te d r a y
(to ta l in te r n a l
r e f le c tio n )

0
C r itic a l a n g le ( r = 9 0 )

When light passes at right angle from a denser

medium to a rarer medium, there is no refraction and it passes straight.
When light passes at small angle of incident from a denser medium to a rarer medium, there
is a strong refracted ray.
When angle of incident increases, the angle of refraction also increases.
At certain angle of incident in the denser medium the angle of refraction in the rarer
medium is 90 0.
The angle of incident for which the angle of refraction is 90 0 is called the critical angle c.
For the angle of incident i > c , all the rays will be reflected back inside the denser medium
(in the same medium) and this is called the total internal reflection.
: OPTICAL FIBER :
In fiber optics, the principle of total internal reflection is used.

Optical fibers are very light, flexible, and thin pipes

made from thin glass or plastic threads.
When light strikes the side of the tube it is usually at an angle greater than the critical angle
so that it is totally internally reflected several times until it emerges from the far end.
They are used in telecommunications and medical instruments (endoscope).
: Totally REFLECTING PRISMS :
Light can be reflected by an angle of 90 o or 180 o using a 45 o glass prism as shown in the
diagram bellow.
The critical angle of an ordinary glass is 42 o and a ray falling normally on the face PQ hits
face PR at 45 o . (Here, the angle of incident is larger than the critical angle of the glass)
Total internal reflection takes place and the ray is reflected through 90 o with the incident ray.
[ 45 o + 45 o = 90 o ]
Totally reflecting prisms replace mirrors in good periscopes. Fig. (a)
When light falls normally on the face PR, [Fig. (b)] , it strikes the surface PQ at 45 o .

Total internal reflection takes place and it strikes the surface QR at 45 o , again total internal
takes place and the ray emerges out at an angle of 180 o to the incident ray.
For this properties of prism it is used in a binoculars.
 P o
P 45
o
45

o
45
o
45 45
o

o
45
o
o 45
45
o o o
90 45 90
o
Q R Q 45 R
F ig (a ) F ig (b )

: images formed by one prism and by combination of two prisms :

P
O b je c t P
Q
O b je c t
Q
Im ag e
( r o ta tio n
by 90 )
o
Im a g e
(ro ta tio n
o
by 90 )
O b je c t
Im a g e
(ro ta tio n Im ag e Q
b y 1 8 0 o) ( r o ta tio n
o
by180 )
P

H.W.
Q. 6 : M/J/2001
Q. 6 : M/J/2006
Q. 6 : O/N/2008