REFRACTION

Refraction is the change in

the direction of light when it
crosses a boundary between
two substances/media.
A medium is the substance or
material through which light is
travelling. The plural of
medium is media.
 REFRACTION
• Light only refracts at the boundary
when it is entering or leaving a medium
• Occurs when the speed of light
changes in different media
REFRACTION
• The particles in a medium
slow down the passage of
light waves
• Different media slow down
light by different amounts
• The more that light slows
down, the more the light is
refracted
 Refraction in Water

• Light rays change direction at the surface of the water

• The image of the chest appears to be more shallow than
the actual chest
 REFRACTION
• refracted ray: the
ray after crossing a
boundary between
media
• angle of
refraction: the
angle between the
refracted ray and
the normal
 REFRACTION
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Normal

Angle of refraction
Cause of Refraction
Car Analogy
•Car travelling at an
angle towards a muddy
surface
•One front wheel hits
muddy surface and
slows down
•Other wheels continue
to move at a higher
speed
•Causes the path to bend
 REFRACTION

Normal
 Angle of Refraction
The angle of refraction is measured relative
to the normal
When moving from low to high refractive
index light bends towards the normal
(e.g. air  glass)
 Angle of Refraction
The angle of refraction is measured relative
to the normal
When moving from high to low refractive
index light bends away from the normal
(e.g. glass  air)
 However…

If light ray enters another medium perpendicular to

boundary, the ray does not bend.
Index of Refraction
MIRROR
S
 Where does
different Color of
Light come from?
How is rainbow
produced?
• Dispersion is the
refraction of white
light into separate
colors.

DISPERSION
 DISPERSION
The amount of refraction each color is different.
Primary colors: red, blue, and green
Secondary colors: cyan, magenta, yellow
Red + Blue = Magenta
Blue + Green = Cyan
Red + Green = Yellow
Red + Blue + Green = White
 Where does
different Color of
Light come from?
• Sound waves
• Visible light waves
• Radio waves
• Microwaves
• Water waves
• Sine waves
• Earthquake waves
• Heat waves
• a wave is a disturbance that
travels through a medium from
one location to another
• a wave is the motion of a
disturbance
• a wave is a disturbance that travels
through a medium from one location
to another
• a wave is the motion of a disturbance
• Longitudinal – vibration is in the same
direction as direction of the wave
• Transverse – vibration is perpendicular
to the direction of motion of the wave
• Longitudinal – vibration is in the same
direction as direction of the wave
• Transverse –
vibration is
perpendicular to
the direction of
motion of the
wave
• Amplitude – the
maximum
displacement that the
wave moves away
from its equilibrium
• Wavelength –
distance between
corresponding points
of two consecutive
waves
• Wavelength –
distance between
corresponding
points of two
consecutive
waves
• Frequency - The
number of repeating
patterns (cycles) per
unit of time.

• [Units are Hertz (Hz). One

Hertz is one cycle/sec]
 Electromagnetic Wave
Light is part of electromagnetic spectrum.
 DISPERSION BY PRISM
• In a prism, the amount of bending depends on the
wavelength or color because the speed of light depends
on the color
 Index of Refraction
• Index of Refraction
determines the extent to
which light is refracted when
entering or leaving the
substance.
 RAINBOWS
• In other words, the index of refraction depends on the color
• Blue light has a higher index of refraction than red light, and thus
is bent (refracted) more
How is rainbow
produced?
 RAINBOWS
• In other words, the index of refraction depends on the color
• Blue light has a higher index of refraction than red light, and thus
is bent (refracted) more
Which color has the
most energy?
Quick Activity…
 Arrange the
planets from
hottest to coldest.
Which planet is
the hottest?
Which planet is
the hottest?
Which planet is
the coolest?
 How can you
relate color and
temperature?
 How can you
relate color and
energy?
Arrange the colors
from greatest
energy to least
energy.
Arrange the colors
from greatest
wavelength to
least wavelength.
 How ca you relate
wavelength of
color to its energy?
 Frequency
Wave Speed
Wavelength (m/s)
Trials Count/seconds
(m) [frequency x
(Hertz)
Count/minute wavelength]
[(count/minute)/
60]
1        
2        
Average        
 Frequency
Wave Speed
Wavelength (m/s)
Trials Count/seconds
(m) [frequency x
(Hertz)
Count/minute wavelength]
[(count/minute)/
60]
1        
2        
Average