• The phenomenon of bending of light when it passes obliquely from one
medium to another is called refraction of light.
• This phenomenon is surface phenomenon observed for all angle of incidence
other than
• For example, stick dipped in water appears to be bent, coin placed in a vessel
containing water appears raised etc.
• Laws of refraction:
1. When a ray of light travels from a rarer medium to denser medium, it bends
towards the normal and in this condition i>r
Here, deviation suffered by
light () = i-r
2. When a ray of light travels from a denser medium to rarer medium, it bends
away from normal and in this condition r>I
Here, deviation suffered by ray of light( r-i
• When a ray of light is incident normally on the boundary separating the two
media, it passes undeviated i.e. there is no bending on the boundary and
hence If i=, then r=.
•
• Causes of refraction and refractive index:
• The speed of light is constant in vacuum i.e 3xm/s but its speed varies with
optical density of medium.
• As light travels from one medium to another, speed of light changes and
bending of light occurs which is refraction.
• The medium in which speed of light is comparatively less is called denser
medium and the medium in which speed of light is comparatively greater is
called rarer medium.
• Rarer and denser are comparative terms.
• Absolute refractive index of medium is defined as the ratio of speed of light in
vacuum (c) to the speed of light in medium(v) i.e
• Refractive index( =
• Refractive index of medium 2 with respect to medium 1 is equal to the ratio of speed of
light in medium 1 and speed of light in medium 2.
i.e =
=
==
For example, = = =1.127
• How long will the light take in travelling distance of 500m in water?(=1.33)
Solution: Given, d=500m,
Then velocity of light in water(v)= = =2.26m/s
Now, time(t) = =?
• Snell’s law: When light travels from one medium to another medium, the ratio
of sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of angle of refraction is always
constant and this constant is called refractive index of second medium with
respect to first medium.
• Let ‘i’ and ‘r’ be the angle of incidence and angle of refraction. Then
according to Snell’s law,
• ==
•
•
• Lateral Shift: When light ray passes from one medium to another, it bends from
its original path i.e refracted ray shifts either right or left on the same plane
even though it changes the medium. This shift of path of light from the initial
direction is called lateral shift.
• The perpendicular distance between the emergent ray and original direction of
incident ray produced is called lateral shift.
•
• Expression for lateral shift:
• Consider a glass slab ABCD of
thickness ‘t’ and refractive index ‘µ’.
A light ray PQ is incident on upper face
AB of slab at an angle of incident and is
refracted along QR making angle of
refraction ‘r’. The light ray QR again
gets refracted from the lower face
and emerge along path RS.
The elongated incident ray
PQT becomes parallel with emergent ray and perpendicular distance RN
represents lateral shift.
• In we have
sin(i-r) =
RN = QR sin(i-r)……(i)
• Let t= Q = thickness of glass slab
In , sec r =
QR = Q sec r
QR = t sec r…………(ii)
From (i) and (ii),
RN = t sec r sin(i-r) =
This is the required expression for lateral shift.
• Draw the graph to show the variation of angle of incidence with lateral shift.
Solution: The graph showing the variation of angle of incidence with lateral shift
is
• At what angle of incidence, lateral shift becomes equal to the thickness of glass
slab?
Solution: We have, L =
If L=t, t =
sin(i-r) = cos r
sin(i-r) = sin(-r)
i=
• On what factors does lateral shift depends ?
Solution: lateral shift depends on (a) thickness of the glass slab (b) refractive
index of material of slab and that of surrounding medium (c) angle of incidence
and (d) wavelength of incident light
• Principle of reversibility of light:
• It states that, “If light suffers any number of refractions and reflections and if
path of light is reversed, it travels along the same path in opposite direction.”
•
• Suppose a light ray enter from medium 1 to medium 2 at an angle of incidence
‘i’ and angle of refraction ‘r’, then from snell’s law,
……….(i) where =R.I of medium 2 w.r.t medium 1
As the refracted ray gets incident normally on plane mirror, its path gets reversed.
When light ray passes from medium 2 to medium 1, then from snell’s law,
• …………(ii) where =R.I of medium 1 w.r.t medium 2
• Multiplying equation (i) and (ii) we get
x = x =1
=
i.e R.I of medium 2 w.r.t medium 1 is reciprocal of R.I of medium 1 w.r.t medium
2.
Real and apparent depth: The actual depth of object from surface is called real
depth and observed depth of object from surface is called apparent depth.
Consider an object at depth ‘t’ from surface. Let
a ray of light OA incident on a surface at an
angle of incidence ‘i’ and is refracted along AB at
an angle of refraction ‘r’.
• An observer watching point O in water from outside sees the object raised upto
an apparent position I.
• Let M be a point on the surface of
water vertically above O.
• Clearly apparent depth MI is less than
real depth MO.
• From Snell’s law,
= =
• Since point M is very close to point A, IAIM, OA
• =……..(i)
•
• From principle of reversibility, = ………(ii)
• From (i) and (ii), =
• = =
• The apparent displacement in the position of the object is called apparent
shift(d) which is given by
OI= OM-IM =OM- = t (1- ) where, t=real depth of water.
• Note: If object is in rarer medium and observer is in denser medium then,
apparent depth> real depth
• apparent depth = real depth
• What is the apparent position of an object below a rectangular glass slab of
refractive index 1.45 and the thickness 0.06m if a layer of water 0.05m thick is
on the top of glass slab?
• A ray of light is incident at an angle of on one face of a rectangular glass slab
of thickness 0.1m and refractive index 1.5. calculate the lateral shift produced.
• A transparent cube of 12cm edge contains a small air bubble. Its apparent
depth when viewed through one face of the cube is 6cm and when viewed
through opposite face is 2cm. What is the actual distance of the bubble from
the first face.
• A microscope is focused on a scratch on the bottom of a beaker. Turpentine
is poured into the beaker to a depth of 4cm and it is found necessary to
raise the microscope through a vertical distance of 1.28cm to bring the
scratch again into focus. Find the refractive index of the turpentine.
• Critical angle and total internal reflection:
When light passes from denser to rarer medium, it bends away from normal. If
the angle of incidence in denser medium is gradually increased, then a condition
will be achieved in which angle of refraction in rarer medium is . In this condition,
the angle of incidence in denser medium is called critical angle.
The angle of incidence in denser medium for which the corresponding angle of
refraction in rarer medium is is called critical angle.
When light ray travels from denser medium to rarer medium with angle of
incidence greater than critical angle, the light ray totally reflects back to the
denser medium, which is called the total internal reflection.
• Relation between critical angle and refractive index:
Consider a light ray PQ incident on the
boundary of two transparent media.
Suppose the angle made by incident ray in
denser medium is equal to critical angle
(i=C) so that angle made by refracted ray in
rarer medium is (r=)
From Snell’s law, for light passing from
glass to air medium, = = =…….(i)
From principle of reversibility, = …….(ii)
From (i) and (ii), =
= This is required relation.
• Light from a luminous point on the lower face of a rectangular slab, 2cm thick,
strikes the upper face and totally reflected rays outline a circle of radius 3.2cm
on the lower face. What is refractive index of the glass?
• Short Questions:
• Why do in summer, roads often appear to be covered with water when seen
from a distance? Explain.
Ans: In summer, the layers of air in contact with road becomes very hot, so the
densities and refractive index of these layers are lower than those of the higher
cooler layers. The rays of light from distance bends more and more as they
passes through denser to rarer medium. When beam falls on the layer at an
angle greater than critical angle, it gets totally internally reflected. These
reflected rays finally reach observer’s eyes that see an inverted image of an
object such as reflected from pool of water.
• Why does stars twinkle but the planets don’t?
Ans: Since the density of atmosphere decreases with distance from the earth,
the rays from distant stars, coming towards the earth pass through this
atmosphere and gets refracted due to variations in densities. The atmosphere is
not stationary and so the position of stars seen from earth changes quicly which
appears as twinkling.
Why does diamond sparkle?
• Why does the sun looks little oval when it is at the horizon?
Ans: Light from the rising sun reaches the earth obliquely through the
atmosphere. Rays from different parts of the sun travel through different
parts of the earth’s atmosphere. Due to unequal refractions, the horizontal
diameter appears shorter. Consequently rising sun appears oval.
