LIGHT

Light is a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum and travels by waves just like radio waves. But it is easier to represent light by rays. If one throws a ball perpendicularly to a wall, the ball will bounce back along the same path. But if the ball is thrown at an angle to a wall, the ball will be reflected back at an angle. REFLECTION

Light does the same thing. When drawing diagrams of reflection of light, imagine a ball being thrown at a wall and bouncing back. This way you understand better what is happening.

The above diagram shows that: ANGLE OF INCIDENCE = ANGLE OF REFLECTION The angle of incidence is the angle fejn qed jaqa id-dawl.

When drawing diagrams of reflection of light always draw the NORMAL. The normal is always perpendicular to the surface and is drawn as a dotted line to show that it is not one of the rays of light. One measures angles always with the normal. The formation and properties of the image by a plane mirror:

Consider an object A. It may be a candle giving out light. But it can be any object reflecting the light falling on it. After reflection by the mirror, the light from A enters the eye and the eye thinks that the light is coming form a point A behind the mirror. That is how the eye sees the image of the object. The rays behind the mirror are shown dotted because there is no light behind the mirror light only appears to come from there. The image in a plane mirror is as far behind the mirror as the object is infront. REFRACTION Let us imagine two men carrying a pole between them. We are looking at them from above their heads. First they are travelling on concrete where they can walk swiftly and then they enter an area where there is mud and hence they cannot walk as fast as before.

The speed of light in glass or in water is smaller than its speed in air. So if light is travelling in air and then enters water, that is light is changing the medium, then light will also change direction exactly as the two men did when they entered the area of mud.. This change in direction because there is a change in the medium is called REFRACTION.

Speed of light in air / speed of light in glass = refractive index of glass Note that when light travels from air to glass, the refracted ray bends towards the normal and when light travel form glass to air the refracted ray bends away from the normal. When one looks at a fish in the sea, the fish appears to be closer to the water surface than it really is. This occurs because of the refraction of light as shown in the figure below.

Consider light passing from glass to air as shown in the diagram below.

Note that all angles are measured with the normal. As the incident angle in the glass increases, the light is refracted out into the air away from the normal.(brown and blue rays) But as the angle of incidence in glass is increased further, light will just emerge along the surface of the glass. (red ray) Hence for angles of incidence smaller than the red angle, all light is refracted out into the air but for angles greater than this angle all light is reflected internally in the glass. This special angle is called the CRITICAL ANGLE for glass.

For example if one is sick at the hospital and the body temperature keeps below a certain value, the patient has a chance that he will recover. But if his body temperature goes well above that value he may die. Hence that value of temperature is CRITICAL for the patient. Light is being totally internally reflected through a semicircular glass block.

Total internal reflection is used in OPTICAL FIBRES as shown in the diagram below.

Today optical fibres are used instead of copper wires to carry signals in communications. Below are examples of refraction and total internal reflection of light through a glass block and through prisms.

Note that one always draws the normal to help him see how the ray of light will bend away or towards the normal. Remember: WHEN LIGHT TRAVELS FROM AIR TO GLASS, THE REFRACTED RAY BENDS TOWARDS THE NORMAL WHEN LIGHT TRAVEL FORM GLASS TO AIR THE REFRACTED RAY BENDS AWAY FROM THE NORMAL. The prism on the RHS shows total internal reflection. But light of different colours are refracted at different angles as shown below.

When white light is refracted through a prism, the light opens up in different colours because each light of a different colour is refracted at a different angle. The order of colours, Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, can be remembered by the sentence Richard of York gave battle in vain. This spreading of white light into different colours is called DISPERSION. ____________________________________________________________________________ Now we have some questions form the SEC Physics exam