Refraction of Light

Class: VIII(Int’l)
Md. Mahafuzure Rhaman
Refraction of Light
 Refraction of Light
Refraction of light is a process of
N/
bending of light when it travels
obliquely from one medium to
A air
another.
Refraction occurs due to P Q
O
a change in the speed of glass
the light ray or wave.
B
N
Terms for Refraction of Light

N/ AO = Incident Ray
OB = Refracted Ray
A i air NON/ = Normal
P Q
O i = Incident Angle
glass r = Refracted Angle
r
B
N
 Rules of Refraction of Light
When a ray of light passes from a denser N/
medium to a rarer medium, then air

the refracted ray goes away from the

normal P Q
O
the refracted angle will be greater than glass
incident angle
the speed of light increases N
the wavelength increases
the frequency does not change
 Rules of Refraction of Light
When a ray of light passes from a rarer
N/
medium to a denser medium, then
the refracted ray comes towards the A i air
normal
the incident angle will be greater P Q
O
than refracted angle glass
the speed of light decreases r
B
the wavelength decreases N
the frequency does not change
 Rules of Refraction of Light
When a ray of light passes along the direction of normal,
then the ray of light does not change its direction. In
this case, there is no refraction occurred.
 Refractive index
The refractive index of a medium is defined as the ratio of the
speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in the medium.

𝑪
n=
𝑽
n = Refractive index
C = The speed of light in vacuum
V = The speed of light in the medium
 N/
Refractive index
A i air
𝑺𝒊𝒏 𝒊
ang = P Q
𝑺𝒊𝒏 𝒓 O
glass
ang = Light passes from medium ‘a’ to medium ‘g’
= Refractive index of ‘g’ with respect to ‘a’ r B
N
gna = Light passes from medium ‘g’ to medium ‘a’
= Refractive index of ‘a’ with respect to ‘g’
𝟏
ang =
gn a
Refractive index can be found out by the speed of those
two media
Va Va = Speed of light in air
ang =
Vg Vg= Speed of light in glass
Refractive index can be found by refractive index of
those two media with respect to vacuum
ng
ang =
na
ng = Refractive index of glass (g) with respect to vacuum
na = Refractive index of air (a) with respect to vacuum
 Critical Angle & Total Internal Reflection
Critical Angle: The amount of incident angle for which the
refracted angle becomes 90° is called critical angle.

air r1 r2 = 90°
air air

glass glass glass

i1 i3 > ɵc r3
i2= ɵc
 Refractive Index for Critical Angle
𝑺𝒊𝒏 𝒊
gna =
𝑺𝒊𝒏 𝒓
For Critical angle, i = ɵc , r = 90°

𝑺𝒊𝒏 ɵc
gna =
𝑺𝒊𝒏 𝟗𝟎°

gna = Sinɵ c
1
Sin ɵc =
ang
1. The refractive index of water and glass with respect to air are
1.33 and 1.5 respectively.
a. Determine the refractive index of water with respect to glass
b. Determine the refractive index of glass with respect to water
2. The refractive index of water with respect to air is
1.33. If the velocity of light in water is 2.22 x 108 ms-1.
Find the velocity of light in air.
3. A block of unknown material is submerged in water. Light in the
water is incident on the block at an angle of incidence of 31°. The
angle of refraction of the light in the block is 27°.
a. What is the refractive index of the material of the block?
b. What is the refractive index of the water with respect to the block
4. A ray of light passes from a medium ‘a’ to medium ‘b’
with an incident angle 30° and refracted angle 45° .
a. Find out the refractive index of ‘a’ with respect to ‘b’
b. Find out speed of light in medium ‘a’, if the speed of light
in medium ‘b’ is 3 x 108 m/s.
5. A ray of light passes from a medium ‘X’ to medium ‘Y’.
a. Calculate the speed of light in medium ‘X’, if the speed
of light in medium ‘Y’ is 1.2 X 108 ms-1.
b. Calculate critical angle in medium ‘X’.
6. When a light ray passes from medium ‘X’ to ‘Y’, the amount of incidence
angle and refracted angle is 65° and 50° respectively. After that, the ray
goes from medium ‘Y’ to Z. (YnZ = 0.74)
a. Find out the refractive index of ‘X’ with respect to ‘Y’
d. What will happen when the ray enters into ‘Z’ from ‘Y’?
7. The ray of light passes from air to glass
to water shown in the figure below.
a. If the incident angle in air is 60° then
calculate the refracted angle in glass.
b. If the speed of light in air is 3 X 108 m/s,
calculate the speed of light in water?