Chapter 35 - Refraction

AA PowerPoint
PowerPoint Presentation
Presentation by
by
Paul
Paul E.
E. Tippens,
Tippens, Professor
Professor of
of Physics
Physics
Southern
Southern Polytechnic
Polytechnic State
State University
University

© 2007
Objectives: After completing this
module, you should be able to:
• Define and apply the concept of the index
of refraction and discuss its effect on the
velocity and wavelength of light.
• Apply Snell’s law to the solution of problems
involving the refraction of light.
• Determine the changes in velocity and/or
wavelength of light after refraction.
• Define and apply the concepts of total internal
reflection and the critical angle of incidence.
 Refraction
Refraction
Refraction isis the
the Air N
bending
bending ofof light
light as
as itit A
passes
passes from
from oneone
medium
medium into
into another.
another. Water
w
Note: the angle of refraction
incidence A in air
and the angle of
refraction A in water The
The incident
incident and and refracted
refracted
are each measured rays
rays lie
lie in
in the
the same
same plane
plane
with the normal N. and
and are
are reversible.
reversible.
 Refraction Distorts Vision
Air Air

Water Water

The
The eye,
eye, believing
believing that
that light
light travels
travels in
in straight
straight
lines,
lines, sees
sees objects
objects closer
closer to to the
the surface
surface duedue to
to
refraction.
refraction. Such
Such distortions
distortions are are common.
common.
 The Index of Refraction
The
The index
index of
of refraction
refraction forfor aa material
material isis the
the ratio
ratio
of
of the
the velocity
velocity of
of light
light in
in aa vacuum
vacuum (3(3 xx 101088 m/s)
m/s)
to
to the
the velocity
velocity through
through the the material.
material.

Index of refraction c
c
n n
c
v v
v
Examples:
Examples: Air
Air n=
n= 1;
1; glass
glass nn =
= 1.5;
1.5; Water
Water nn =
= 1.33
1.33
Example 1. Light travels from air (n = 1) into glass,
where its velocity reduces to only 2 x 108 m/s.
What is the index of refraction for glass?

vair = c c 3 x 10 m/s8
Air n  8
v 2 x 10 m/s
Glass
vG = 2 x 108 m/s
For glass: n = 1.50

If the medium were water: nW = 1.33. Then

you should show that the velocity in water
would be reduced from c to 2.26 x 108 m/s.
 Analogy for Refraction
3 x 108 m/s
Air Pavement

Glass 2 x 108 v s < vp

m/s
Sand

3 x 108 m/s

Light
Light bends
bends into
into glass
glass then
then returns
returns along
along
original
original path
path much
much asas aa rolling
rolling axle
axle would
would
when
when encountering
encountering aa strip
strip of
of mud.
mud.
 Deriving Snell’s Law
Consider two light Medium 1
v1
rays. Velocities are
v1 in medium 1 v1t

and v2 in med. 2.  R 
v t 1
2
Segment R is common
hypotenuse to two rgt.  
v2
triangles. Verify shown
angles from geometry. Medium 2

v1t
v1t v2t sin 1 v1
sin 1  ; sin 2   R 
R R sin  2 v2t v2
R
 Snell’s Law
Medium 1 The
The ratioratio of
of the
the sine
sine ofof the
the
1 v1 angle
angle of incidence 11 to
of incidence to the
the
sine
sine of of the
the angle
angle ofof refraction
refraction
2 v2 22 isis equal
equal toto the
the ratio
ratio of
of the
the
incident velocity vv11 to
incident velocity to the
the
Medium 2 refracted velocity vv22..
refracted velocity

Snell’s sin 1 v1

Law: sin  2 v2
 Example 2: A laser beam in a darkened room
strikes the surface of water at an angle of
300. The velocity in water is 2.26 x 108 m/s.
What is the angle of refraction?
The incident angle is:
A Air
300 A = 900 – 300 = 600
H2O W sin  A v A

sin W vW

vW sin  A (2 x 10 m/s) sin 60

8 0
sin W   8 WW = 35.3
= 35.300
vA 3 x 10 m/s
Snell’s Law and Refractive Index
Another form of Snell’s law can be derived from
the definition of the index of refraction:
Medium 1 c
n  from which v 
c
1 v n
c
v1 n1 v1 n2
2  ; 
v2 c v2 n 1
n2
Medium 2

Snell’s law for sin 1 v1 n2

 
velocities and indices: sin  2 v2 n1
 A Simplified Form of the Law
Since the indices of refraction for many common
substances are usually available, Snell’s law is
often written in the following manner:

sin 1 v1 n2
  n1 sin 1  n2 sin  2
sin  2 v2 n1

The
The product
product ofof the
the index
index of
of refraction
refraction andand the
the
sine
sine of
of the
the angle
angle isis the
the same
same in in the
the refracted
refracted
medium
medium as as for
for the
the incident
incident medium.
medium.
Example 3. Light travels through a block of glass,
then remerges into air. Find angle of emergence
for given information.
First find G inside glass:
Air Glass nA sin  A  nG sin  G

G nA sin  A (1.0) sin 500
sin  G  
G nG 1.50
500
n=1.5 Air
GG = 30.7
= 30.700

From geometry, note Apply to

e each
= 50 0interface:
= 500
angle G same for e

next interface. A sin as

nSame nG sin  G angle!
A entrance  nA sin  A
 Wavelength and Refraction
The energy of light is determined by the frequency
of the EM waves, which remains constant as light
passes into and out of a medium. (Recall v = f.)

Air Glass n=1 v A  f A A ; vG  fG G

A n=1.5
vA f A vA A
 ;  ;
vG f G vG G

fA= fG G sin 1 v1 1
 
sin  2 v2 2
G A
The Many Forms of Snell’s Law:
Refraction
Refraction isis affected
affected by
by the
the index
index of
of refraction,
refraction,
the
the velocity,
velocity, and
and the
the wavelength.
wavelength. In In general:
general:

Snell’s sin 1 n2 v1 1
  
Law: sin  2 n1 v2 2

All
All the
the ratios
ratios are
are equal.
equal. ItIt isis helpful
helpful toto recognize
recognize
that
that only
only the index nn differs
the index differs in in the
the ratio
ratio order.
order.
 Example 4: A helium neon laser emits a beam of
wavelength 632 nm in air (nA = 1). What is the
wavelength inside a slab of glass (nG = 1.5)?
nG = 1.5; A = 632 nm
Air Glass
 A nG nA A
  ;  G
G G nA nG
G
 (1.0)(632 nm)
n=1.5 Air G   421 nm
1.5
Note that the light, if seen inside the glass, would
be blue. Of course it still appears red because it
returns to air before striking the eye.
 Dispersion by a Prism
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet

Dispersion
Dispersion isis the
the separation
separation of of white
white light
light into
into
its
its various
various spectral
spectral components.
components. The The colors
colors
are
are refracted
refracted atat different
different angles
angles due
due toto the
the
different
different indexes
indexes of of refraction.
refraction.
 Total Internal Reflection
When light passes at an angle from a medium of
higher index to one of lower index, the emerging
ray bends away from the normal.
When the angle reaches a
Air
certain maximum, it will be
reflected internally.
900

c i=r
The
The critical angle cc isis the
critical angle the
limiting
limiting angle
angle of
of incidence
incidence
in
in aa denser
denser medium
medium that that
Critical results
results inin an
an angle
angle ofof
light angle Water refraction
refraction equal
equal to
to 90
9000..
Example 5. Find the critical angle of incidence
from water to air.
For critical angle, A = 900 Critical angle
nA = 1.0; nW = 1.33
nW sin  C  nA sin  A Air 900
nA sin 900 (1)(1)
sin  C   c
nw 1.33

Critical angle: c = 48.80 Water

In general, for media where n1

sin  C 
n1 > n2 we find that: n2
 Summary
c = 3 x 108 m/s Index of refraction
c
Medium
v n
n v
Refraction
Refraction isis affected
affected by
by the
the index
index of
of refraction,
refraction,
the
the velocity,
velocity, and
and the
the wavelength.
wavelength. In In general:
general:

Snell’s sin 1 n2 v1 1
  
Law: sin  2 n1 v2 2
Summary (Cont.) Critical angle

n2
The
The critical angle cc isis the
critical angle the 900
limiting
limiting angle
angle of
of incidence
incidence
in
in aa denser
denser medium
medium that that c
n1
results
results inin an
an angle
angle ofof
refraction
refraction equal
equal to
to 90
9000.. n1 > n2

In general, for media where n1

sin  C 
n1 > n2 we find that: n2
CONCLUSION: Chapter 35
Refraction