1) Refraction

2) Real and Apparent Depth

REFRACTION
Refraction is the bending of light when it
enters from one transparent medium into
another.
It is caused by the different speeds of light in
different mediums (solids, liquids and gases)
The greater the index of refraction, the slower
the speed of light in that particular medium.

REFRACTION
The tendency of a ray of light to bend one
direction or another is dependent upon whether
the light wave speeds up or slows down upon
crossing the boundary (point between two
different medium, i.e. surface of a river).
The index of refraction value (n 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. A vacuum
is given an n value of 1.00.
3

REFRACTION
The presence of matter slows lights progress
The light slowing factor is called the index
of refraction
glass has n = 1.52, meaning that light
travels about 1.5 times slower in glass
than in vacuum
vacuum is n = 1.00000 (speed of light at
full capacity)
4

REFRACTION IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Think of refraction as a pair of wheels on an axle
going from sidewalk onto grass wheel moves slower in
grass, so the direction changes

Travelling through different materials

If you were running along a beach and then
ran into the water when would you be
moving slower in the water or on the sand?
Answer: In the water.

In a similar way, as light moves from one

medium to another of different density, the
speed of light changes.

Do you think light moves faster or

slower in a more dense medium?
Answer: Light moves slower through a more dense medium.

Index of Refraction of Some Common

Mediums
Index of
Refraction or nvalue

Remarks

Vacuum

1.0000

lowest optical
density or light
travels fastest in
vacuum

Air

1.0003

Ice

1.3100

1.3330

Highest optical
density or light
travels slowest in
water.

Material

Water

Refraction - Light Travelling from

a Fast to a Slow Medium
If a ray of light passes across the
boundary from a material in which it
travels fast (low n value) into a
material in which travels slower (high
n value), then the light ray will bend
towards the normal line. i.e. light
travelling through air then into glass.
8

What happens in refraction:

air to glass

en light is refracted as it travels from air to gl

angle of incidence > angle of refraction
i > r
i > r
As the light ray
travels from air into
glass
it
moves
towards the normal.

In general, when
light rays move from a
less
dense
medium
(air) to a more dense
medium (glass) they
bend
towards
the
normal.

air
glass

Refraction - Light Travelling from

a SLOW to a FAST Medium
If a ray of light passes across the
boundary from a material in which it
travels slowly into a material in
which travels faster, then the light
ray will bend away from the normal
line. i.e. light travelling from glass to
air.
10

What happens in
refraction:
glass
to
air
en light is refracted as it travels from glass to air:
angle of incidence
i

< angle of refraction

< r

As the light ray

travels from glass into
air it moves away from
the normal.

In general, when
light rays travel from a
more dense medium
(glass) to a less dense
medium (air) they
bend away from the

glass
air

i
r

<

Refraction angle of
incidence

What happens to light travelling from

air through a glass block when the
angle of incidence is 0?
i = 0
When the angle of
incidence is 0 the
light ray is not
deviated from its
path.

air
glass

undeviated light ray

Diagram Showing Refraction

13

Effects of refraction
Many visual effects are caused by
refraction.
This ruler appears
bent because the
light from one end of
the ruler has been
refracted, but light
from the other end
has travelled in a
straight
line.
Would the
ruler
appear more or less
bent if the water was
replaced with glass?

Real and apparent depth

The rays of light from a stone get bent
(refracted) as they leave the water.
Your brain
assumes these
rays of light have
travelled in
straight lines.
Your brain forms an
image at the place
where it thinks the
rays have come from
the stone appears
to be higher than it
really is.

imag
e
actual location

In general, when light rays

travel from a more dense
medium (water) to a less dense
medium (air) they bend away
from the normal.

The Archer fish

The Archer fish is a predator that shoots jets
of water at insects near the surface of the
water, e.g. on a leaf.
The Archer fish
allows for the
refraction of light
at the surface of
the water when
aiming at the prey.
The fish does not
aim at the refracted
image it sees but at
a location where it
knows the prey to
be.

image
of prey

prey
location

Revision Tip
Remember the word:
TAGAGA
Towards (normal)
Air
Glass
Away (from normal)
Glass
Air