Refraction of Light

Refraction
- is the bending of a
wave when it enters a
medium where its speed
is different
Snells_law_wavefronts
 Index of Refraction
The index of refraction is
defined as the speed of light
in vacuum divided by the
speed of light in the
medium.
Where:
n = index of refraction
c = speed of light in a vacuum
v = speed of light in the medium
Indices of Refraction
Total Internal
Reflection
TIR
Is the reflection of the total
amount of incident light at the
boundary between two
medium.
It involves the reflection of all
the incident light off the
boundary.
TIR only takes place when both of
the following two conditions are
met:
•the light is in the more dense
medium and approaching the less
dense medium.
•the angle of incidence is greater
than the so-called critical angle.
Application of Total Internal
Reflection
Optical Fiber in
Communication

Optical Fiber in
Medicine
Refraction is responsible for image formation
Refraction is responsible for image formation
Lenses
Refraction is responsible for image formation
Lenses

Eye
Lens
 Lens
A lens is merely a carefully
ground or molded piece of
transparent material which
refracts light rays in such a
way as to form an image
Kinds of Lens
Kinds of Lens
 Kinds of Lens

✓thicker across the middle

✓thinner at its edges
✓serves to converge light because the light that
passes through it tends to converge at a particular
point called the focal point.
✓It forms real images and virtual images depending
on position of the object
 Kinds of Lens

✓thicker across the middle

✓thinner at its edges
✓serves to converge light because the light that
passes through it tends to converge at a particular
point called the focal point.
Light travels through a lens unlike a
mirror.
Light travels through a lens unlike a
mirror.
Light travels through a lens unlike a
mirror.
Light travels through a lens unlike a
mirror.
 Light travels through a lens unlike a
mirror.
Since light is expected to travel through a lens the real
side is on the opposite side of the object. The object is
represented by the thick black upright arrow.
The object is always considered to be on the real
side: do is always positive+
The object is always considered to be on the real
side: do is always positive+

•concave lens: f is always

negative -
• concave lens focal
distances will be
negative during math
since the curve of the
front side is toward the
virtual side.
The object is always considered to be on the real
side: do is always positive+

•concave lens: f is always

negative -
• concave lens focal
distances will be
negative during math
since the curve of the
front side is toward the
virtual side.

•convex lens: f is always

positive +
• convex lens focal
distances will be
positive since the curve
of the front side is
toward the real side.
The object is always considered to be on the real
side:

•do is always positive +

•concave lens: f is always
negative -
• concave lens focal
distances will be
negative during math
since the curve of the
front side is toward the
virtual side.
•convex lens: f is always
positive +
• convex lens focal
distances will be
positive since the curve
of the front side is
toward the real side.
With mirrors the curve of the mirror bends toward a center
of curvature. This is represented by (C). Halfway to the
center of curvature is the focal point (f).
With lenses the center of curvature is instead represented
by a double focal length or (2f) but we still also represent
the focal length as f.
If the double focal length (2f) is 10 cm then the f would be
5 cm.
We use an apostrophe (') to represent the virtual side f' and
2f'.
Anatomy of a Convex Lens
 Anatomy of a Convex Lens

Vertex (V)

Focal Point or Focus

(F)
xis (P)

Principal Axis
(P)

Double Focal Point (2F) or center of curvature (C)

Double Focal Point

(2F) or center of Focal Length (f)
curvature (C)
Kinds of Lens
Kinds of Lens

✓thicker across the middle

✓thinner at its edges
✓ It forms upright and reduced images.
✓serves to diverge light because the light
that passes through it tends to diverge at a
particular point called the focal point.
Anatomy of a Concave Lens
Anatomy of a Concave Lens
Image Formation
in Lenses
Image Formation
in Lenses

Converging Lens
 Rules in image
formation in
Converging Lens
 Rules in image
formation in
Converging Lens
 Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal
axis of a converging lens will refract through the
lens and travel through the focal point on the
opposite side of the lens.
 Rules in image
formation in
Converging Lens
 Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal
axis of a converging lens will refract through the
lens and travel through the focal point on the
opposite side of the lens.
 Any incident ray traveling through the focal point
on the way to the lens will refract through the
lens and travel parallel to the principal axis.
 Rules in image
formation in
Converging Lens
 Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal
axis of a converging lens will refract through the
lens and travel through the focal point on the
opposite side of the lens.
 Any incident ray traveling through the focal point
on the way to the lens will refract through the
lens and travel parallel to the principal axis.
 An incident ray which passes through the center
of the lens will in effect continue in the same
direction that it had when it entered the lens.
Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double convex lens
 Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double convex lens

1. Pick a point on
the top of the
object and draw
three incident
rays traveling
towards the lens.
 Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double convex lens
1. Pick a point on the top of the
object and draw three incident
rays traveling towards the lens.

2. Once these
incident rays strike
the lens, refract
them according to
the three rules of
refraction for
converging lenses.
 Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double convex lens
1. Pick a point on the top of the
object and draw three incident
rays traveling towards the lens.

2. Once these incident rays

strike the lens, refract them
according to the three rules of
refraction for converging lenses.

3. Mark the
image of the
top of the
object.
 Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double convex lens
1. Pick a point on the top of the
object and draw three incident
rays traveling towards the lens.

2. Once these incident rays

strike the lens, refract them
according to the three rules of
refraction for converging lenses.

3. Mark the image of the top of the

object.

4. Repeat the process

for the bottom of the
object.
 Case 1

L - The image is located between F and 2F

O – inverted
S – reduced
T - Real
 Case 2

L - The image is The image is located at 2F

O – inverted
S – same size
T - Real
 Case 3

L - The image is located beyond 2F

O – inverted
S – enlarged
T - Real
Case 4

No image formed
 Case 5

L - The image is located infront of the lens

O – upright
S – enlarged
T - virtual
Image Formation
in Lenses
Image Formation
in Lenses

diverging Lens
Rules in image
formation in
diverging Lens
 Rules in image
formation in
diverging Lens
 Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal
axis of a diverging lens will refract through the
lens and travel in line with the focal point (i.e., in
a direction such that its extension will pass
through the focal point).
 Rules in image
formation in
diverging Lens
 Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal
axis of a diverging lens will refract through the
lens and travel in line with the focal point (i.e., in
a direction such that its extension will pass
through the focal point).
 Any incident ray traveling towards the focal point
on the way to the lens will refract through the
lens and travel parallel to the principal axis.
 Rules in image
formation in
diverging Lens
 Any incident ray traveling parallel to the principal
axis of a diverging lens will refract through the
lens and travel in line with the focal point (i.e., in
a direction such that its extension will pass
through the focal point).
 Any incident ray traveling towards the focal point
on the way to the lens will refract through the
lens and travel parallel to the principal axis.
 An incident ray which passes through the center
of the lens will in effect continue in the same
direction that it had when it entered the lens.
Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double concave lens
 Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double concave lens

1. Pick a point on
the top of the
object and draw
three incident
rays traveling
towards the
lens.
 Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double concave lens
1. Pick a point on the top of the object
and draw three incident rays traveling
towards the lens.

2. Once these incident

rays strike the lens,
refract them
according to the
three rules of
refraction for double
concave lenses.
 Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double concave lens
1. Pick a point on the top of the object
and draw three incident rays traveling
towards the lens.

2. Once these incident rays strike

the lens, refract them according
to the three rules of refraction
for double concave lenses.

3. Locate and mark

the image of the
top of the object.
 Method of drawing ray diagrams for
double concave lens
1. Pick a point on the top of the object
and draw three incident rays traveling
towards the lens.

2. Once these incident rays strike

the lens, refract them according
to the three rules of refraction
for double concave lenses.

3. Locate and mark the image of the

top of the object.

4. Repeat the process for the

bottom of the object.
In all cases:
L - The image is located behind the lens
O – upright
S – reduced
T - virtual