Refraction

• Refraction is the bending of light when it enters from

one transparent medium into another.

• As a light ray travels from one medium into another

medium where its speed is different, the light ray will
change its direction unless it travels along the normal.

• When light slows down when it moves from medium A

to medium B, we say that the medium B is optically
denser than medium A.
                                          
                                     

Refraction of Light
Using a laser
What pen,
do you a beam
think of light to
will happen is its
sent from
path of water
travel into
as itair.
strikes the air-water
boundary?
When light strikes such transparent boundary, both reflection and refraction occur.

refraction refraction

reflection
water

laser pointer glass refraction

reflection
air

reflection
Glass is optically denser than water hence light bends
more when it enters glass compared to water.
Refraction Terminology
 Direction of bending of light
• When light enters an optically less dense medium, the
light ray bends away from the normal.
• When light enters an optically denser medium, the light
ray bends toward the normal.

bends
towards
bends away the normal
from the normal water water

air air
                                        

Direction of bending of light

r i
bends towards
glass the normal glass
air air
bends away
i r
from the normal

from an optically less dense from an optically denser medium

medium to an optically denser to an optically less denser
medium, i > r medium, i < r
                                          
                                     

Refraction of Light
The change in speed at the transparent boundary between two media causes light to
change direction.
Optical density of glass > water > air > vacuum
Air has lower optical density,
light travels faster, bend
away from normal.
Glass has higher optical
density – light travels slower,
glass bend towards normal
air
Air has lower optical density,
light travels faster.

The more optically dense the material, the slower the speed of light in that material
                                          
                                     

Refractive Index, n
The refractive index of a medium is the ratio
of the speed of light in one medium relative
to the speed of light in the other medium.
For example, the refractive index of glass at the air-glass boundary is given as:
air c
c
glass n=
v v

c where c and v are the speed of light

in air and glass respectively.
Refractive Index of Various
Medium
 Laws of Refraction
• The incident ray, the refracted ray and the
normal all lie on the same plane.
• For two particular media, the ratio of the
sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of
the angle of refraction is a constant
(Snell’s Law)

sin i = constant
sin r
                                          
                                     

Snell’s Law
if 1 represents the angle of incidence in the less dense medium, and 2 represents the
angle of refraction in the denser medium;

Then:
1
sin 
n = sin  1

2
2
The ratio of the two sin  s gives
glass
the same refractive index , and
air
this relationship is called Snell’s
1 Law.
 Refractive Index

• When light passes from vacuum (or air)

into a given medium (eg. water), the
sin i
constant ratio of is known as the
sin r
refractive index, n, for that medium.

sin i Angle of incidence

n
sin r Angle of refraction
                                          
                                     

Sample Problem 1
A ray of light approaches a glass-air boundary at an angle of incidence i = 30. What is
the refractive index of the glass if the angle of refraction r = 49 ?

angle in less
30 sin 
n =
sin 
1 dense medium
glass 2

air angle in less

sin 49 dense medium
49 =
sin
30
= 1.5
                                         
                                     

Sample Problem 2
A ray of light approaches a water-air boundary at an angle of incident i = 35.

(i) Complete the path of the light as it crosses the water-air boundary.
(ii) What is the angle of refraction if the refractive index of water n = 1.3?

35 sin 
n =
1

sin 
air 2

water
sin 35
r 1.3 =
sin r
r = 26
 Daily Phenomena of Refraction

• Swimming pool and

ponds appear
shallower than it
really is.
• Object is at a deeper
depth than where it
appears to be.
• Bent objects in liquids
                                        

Total Internal Reflection

The picture below be easily reproduced with a laser pointer and a transparent semi-circle glass
block in a darkened room. As light enters the glass block, it bends at the surface instead of
traveling its original path.

What do you think will happen if the angle of incidence in the glass block is increased
gradually?
                                          
                                     

Total Internal Reflection

A light ray from water is incident on the water - air boundary. The angle of incidence is
gradually increased.
(i) Calculate the angle of refraction if the refractive index of water is 1.3. (ii)
What do you observe about the angle of refraction as the angle of incidence is
gradually increased?
26o
41o 57o

air air air

glass glass glass

40o
20 o 30 o

As the angle of incidence increases, angle of refraction increases as well.

What is the maximum angle of refraction that can be produced?

  
                                       
                                     

Total Internal Reflection

At a certain
If the critical angle
next incident c,greater
angle is a maximum angle
than c, of refraction
no more = 90
refraction will isoccur.
produced.
A weak reflected ray is also produced.
The reflected ray becomes very strong and intense.

90
air air
glass glass
weak reflection i> c
c r
c strong reflection

if incident angle > critical angle:

 no light ray from the optically denser medium will be refracted.

 all light rays will be totally internally reflected into the optically denser
medium.
  
                                       
                                     

Critical angle and Total Internal Reflection

Critical angle c is defined as the angle of incidence from a denser medium which
produces an angle of refraction of 90.

air 90 air

glass
glass
weak reflection i> c r
c c strong reflection

Total internal reflection only occurs when:

 a light ray is travelling from an optically denser medium to an optically less dense
medium.

 the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle.

 Critical Angle
• Critical angle is the angle of incidence in
the optically denser medium for which the
angle of refraction in the less dense
medium is 90o.

1
sin c 
Critical
n
angle Refractive
index
                                          
                                     

Total Internal Reflection

Enrichment
A laparoscope is a medical equipment inside a hollow, thin tube. It is connected to a
camera and a high intensity light for doctor to see the structure inside our body.

Perform an internet search to find out how total

internal reflection plays a part in different fields.
Be prepared to share with your classmates
what you have learnt from your research next
week.