REFRACTION OF LIGHT

When a ray of light, travelling through one medium

strikes obliquely the surface of another transparent
medium, then there is change in its direction in the
second medium. This change is called Refraction of
light.
Light refracts at boundary between two medium
because of change in its speed.

 If ray of light enters from rare into denser medium

it bends towards the normal. But when enters from
denser into rare medium, it bends away from the
normal
FROM A REARER TO A DENSER MEDIUM
 For eg. From air to glass.

FROM A DENSER TO A RARER MEDIUM

 For eg. From water to air
Useful words to describe Refraction of light

LAWS OF REFRACTION OF LIGHT

 Incident ray, refracted ray and normal lie in the

same plane.

 The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence

and the sine of the angle of refraction is
constant in any two transparent mediums,
which is termed refractive index (n).
Refractive index (n) =Sin i/Sin r = 1µ2, a Constant
 REFRACTIVE INDEX

 Refractive Index in terms of speed of light:

The refractive index of a medium for light of a given
wavelength may be defined as the ratio of speed of
light in vaccum to it’s speed in that medium.

µ=
 Refractive index in terms of wavelength:

The refractive index of a medium may be defined

as the ratio of wavelength of light in vacuum to
its wavelength in that medium.

 Relative refractive index:

The relative refractive light passes from an
optically index of medium 2 with respect to
medium 1 is defined as the ratio of speed of light
(v1) in medium 1 to the speed of light (v2) in
medium 2 and is denoted by 1µ2

1µ
2 =
 FACTORS ON WHICH REFRACTIVE INDEX OF A MEDIUM
DEPENDS

1. Nature of a medium
2. Wavelength of the light used.
3. Nature of the surrounding medium.
4. Temperature.

CAUSES OF REFRACTION

A light ray refracts whenever it travels at an angle

into a medium of different refractive index. This
change in speed results in a change in direction. As an
example, consider air travelling into water. The speed
of light decreases as it continues to travel at a
different angle.

1µ
=
2 =

From the above equation, we can note the following

results:
(i) If v1 > v2 then 1µ2>1 and sin i> sin r or i>r i.e., the
refracted ray bends towards the normal. The medium 2 is
said to be optically denser than medium 1. Hence a ray of
light bends towards the normal as it refracts from a rarer
medium into a denser medium.
(ii) If v1 <v2 then 1µ2<1 and sin i<sin r or i<r i.e., the
refracted ray bends away from the normal. The medium 2
is said to optically rarer than medium 1. Hence a ray of
light bends away from the normal as it refracts from a
denser medium.

APPLICATIONS OF REFRACTION OF LIGHT:-

 A lens uses refraction to form an image of an object for

various purposes, such as magnification.
 Spectacles worn by people with defective vision use the
principle of refraction.
 Refraction is used in peepholes of house doors, cameras,
movie projectors and telescopes.
 LENSES

A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or

disperses light beams using refraction. A simple lens consists
of a single piece of transparent material, while compound
lenses consist of several simple lenses arranged along with a
common axis.
A lens can focus light to form an image, unlike a prism, which
refracts light without focusing.
Lenses serve to refract light at each boundary. As a ray of light
enters a lens, it is refracted; and as the same ray of light exits
the lens, it is refracted again. The net effect of the refraction of
light at these two boundaries is that the light ray has changed
directions.
 TYPES OF LENSES
The lens classification depends on how the light rays bend
when they pass through the lens. The two main types of lenses
are:
(i) Convex or converging lenses
(ii) Concave or diverging lenses

(i) Convex or Converging Lens: It is thicker at the centre

than at the edges. It converges a parallel beam of light on
refraction through it. It has a real focus.
Types of convex lenses :
(a) Double convex or biconvex lens: In this lens, both
surfaces are convex.
(b) Planoconvex lens: In this lens, one side is convex and the
other is plane.
(c) Concavoconvex: In this lens, one side is convex and the
other is concave.
(ii) Concave or Diverging Lens: It is thinner at the centre
than at the edges. It diverges a parallel beam of light on
refraction through it. It has a virtual focus.
Types of concave lenses :
(a) Double concave or biconcave lens: In this lens, both sides
are concave.
(b) Planoconcave lens: In this lens, one side is plane and the
other is concave.
(c) Convexoconcave lens: In this lens, one side is convex and
the other is concave.

NEW CARTESIAN SIGN CONVENTION FOR SPHERICAL LENSES

1. All distances are measured from the optical centre of the
lens.
2. The distances measured in the same direction as the
incident light are taken positive.
3. The distances measured in the direction opposite to the
direction of the incident light are taken negative.
4. Heights measured upwards and perpendicular to the
principal axis are taken positive.
5. Heights measured downwards and perpendicular to the
principal axis are taken negative.
Consequences of the sign convention:
1. The focal length of a converging lens is positive and that
of a diverging lens is negative.

2. Object distance is always negative.

3. The distance of real image is positive and that of virtual

image is negative.

4. The object height h1 is always positive. Height h₂ of

virtual erect image is positive and that of real inverted
image is negative.

5. The linear magnification m=h2/h1 is positive for a virtual

image and negative for a real image.