Physics 102: Lecture 18

Snell’s Law, Total Internal

Reflection, Brewster’s Angle,
Dispersion, Lenses

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 1

 Snell’s Law: A Quick
Review
When light travels from one medium to another
the speed changes v=c/n, but the frequency is
constant. So the light bends:

n1 sin(1)= n2 sin(2)

n1
1

2 n2

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 2

 Total Internal
Reflection
Recall Snell’s Law: n1 sin(1)= n2 sin(2)
(n1 > n2  2 > 1 )

1 = sin-1(n2/n1) then 2 =
90 “critical angle” 2
Light incident at a larger angle n2
will only have reflection (i =
r) n1
i r
For water/air: c
n1=1.33, n2=1 normal
1
1 = sin-1(n2/n1)
= 48.80
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 3
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 4
 Fiber Optics
At each contact w/ the glass air interface, if the light
hits at greater than the critical angle, it undergoes
total internal reflection and stays in the fiber.

noutside

ninside
Telecommunications
Total Internal Reflection
Arthoscopy only works if noutside < ninside
Laser surgery
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 5
 Preflight 18.1

Can the person standing on the edge of the pool be

prevented from seeing the light by total internal
reflection ?

1) Yes 2) No
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 6
 ACT: Refraction
• As we pour more water into bucket, what
will happen to the number of people who
can see the ball?

1) Increase2) Same 3) Decrease

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 7

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 8
 Brewster’s angle
Reflected light is usually unpolarized (mixture of
horizontally and vertically polarized). But…

B horiz.
B
polarize
d only! n1
horiz. and
n2
vert. 90º
polarized
90º-B

When angle between n1 sin B = n2 sin (90-B)

reflected beam and n1 sin B = n2 cos (B)
refracted beam is exactly
90 degrees, reflected beam n2
tanB 
is 100% horizontally n1
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 9
 ACT: Brewster’s Angle
When a polarizer is placed between the light
source and the surface with transmission axis
aligned as shown, the intensity of the reflected
light:
(1) Increases (2) Unchanged (3) Decreases

T.A.

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 10

 Preflight 18.3, 18.4
Polarizing sunglasses are often considered to be
better than tinted glasses because they…

• block more light

• block more glare
• are safer for your eyes
• are cheaper

Polarizing sunglasses (when worn by someone

standing up) work by absorbing light polarized in
which direction?

• horizontal
• vertical

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 11

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 12
 Dispersion

The index of refraction n depends on

color!
In glass: nblue
nblue > nred = 1.53 nred = 1.52
prism

White light

Blue light gets

deflected more
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 13
 Rainbow:
Preflight 18.5

Wo
w
at loo
va the k
r
in iatio
ind n
e Which is red?
ref of x
ra c
! on
ti Which is blue?

Skier sees blue

coming up from the
bottom (1), and red
coming down from the
top (2) of the rainbow.
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 14 Blue light is deflected
 LIKE SO! In second
rainbow pattern
is reversed

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 15

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 16
 Flat Lens (Window)

Incident ray is displaced, but

its direction is not changed.
n2 n1

1
1

If 1 is not large, and if t d

t
is small, the
displacement, d, will be
quite small.
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 17
Converging Lens Principal Rays

F Image
P.A.
Object F

1) Rays parallel to principal axis pass through focal

point.
2) Rays through center of lens are not refracted.
3) Rays through F emerge parallel to principal axis.

Image is: real, inverted and enlarged (in this case).

Assumptions:
• monochromatic light incident on a thin lens.
Physics 102: • rays18,are
Lecture Slideall
18 “near” the principal axis.
 Converging Lens
All rays parallel to principal axis pass through
focal point F. Double Convex

Preflight 18.6 P.A. F

A beacon in a lighthouse nlens > noutside

produces a parallel beam of light. The
beacon consists of a bulb and a
converging lens. Where should the
bulb be placed?
• At F F
P.A.
• Inside F F

• Outside F
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 19
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 20
 3 Cases for Converging Lenses
Past 2F Inverted This could be used in
Object
Image
Reduced a camera. Big object
Real on small film

Between
Inverted This could be used
F & 2F
Image
Enlarged as a projector. Small
Object Real slide on big screen

Inside F Upright
This is a magnifying
Enlarged glass
Image Object
Virtual
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 21
 ACT: Converging Lens
Which way should you move object so image
is real and diminished?

F
P.A.

Object F

(1) Closer to lens

(2) Further from lens
(3) Converging lens can’t create real
diminished image.

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 22

 Diverging Lens Principal Rays

F
P.A.
Object F Image

1) Rays parallel to principal axis pass through focal

point.
2) Rays through center of lens are not refracted.
3) Rays toward F emerge parallel to principal axis.

Only 1 case for diverging lens:

Image is always virtual, upright, and reduced.
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 23
Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 24
 ACT: Diverging Lenses
Which way should you move object so image
is real?

F
P.A.

Object F

1) Closer to lens
2) Further from lens
3) Diverging lens can’t create real image.

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 25

Physics 102: Lecture 18, Slide 26