• Frequency of light wave is

Medium 1
source dependent, while
wavelength and hence speed v1 , λ1 , f
depends on the nature of
medium.
•
i
v=λf

• The bending of light when interface

it travels from one medium Medium 2
to another is referred to as r
Refraction.
• i = angle of incidence, v2 , λ2 , f
r = angle of refraction,
measured with respect to
the local normal.
v1 v1 v1

v2 v2 v2
v1 v1 v1

v2 v2 v2
v1 v1 v1

v2 v2 v2

of 2nd medium with respect to

1st medium
v1 v1 v1

v2 v2 v2

of 2nd medium with respect to

1st medium
 liquid Example:

v1

glass v2

of 2nd medium with respect to

1st medium
 liquid Example:

vl

glass vg

of 2nd medium with respect to

1st medium
 liquid Example:

vl vl = 2.5 x 108 m/s

vg = 2 x 108 m/s
2.5 ×10 8 Rel. R.I of
glass vg 𝜇 𝑔𝑙= 8 ¿ 1.25 Glass w.r.t
2 ×10
Liquid.

of 2nd medium with respect to

1st medium
 liquid Example:

vl vl = 2.5 x 108 m/s

vg = 2 x 108 m/s
2.5 ×10 8 Rel. R.I of
glass vg 𝜇 𝑔𝑙= 8 ¿ 1.25 Glass w.r.t
2 ×10
Liquid.
liquid
vl
2 ×10 8
𝜇 𝑙𝑔= 8 ¿ 0.8
2.5 ×10
glass vg
 liquid Example:

vl vl = 2.5 x 108 m/s

vg = 2 x 108 m/s

vg Rel. R.I of
glass ¿ 1.25 Glass w.r.t
Liquid.
liquid
vl
¿ 0.8

glass vg
 Air/Vacuum
c 𝑐
𝜇𝑔𝑎 𝑣 Absolute Refractive Index
of a medium

glass v 𝜇𝑔 Absolute R.I of glass

So, Relative R.I. is also given by the ratio of Absolute
R.I. of 2nd medium to that of 1st medium.
• Absolute R.I. is generally
c>v
greater than 1.

• Relative R.I. may be

v1 > v2 or v1 < v2
greater or less than 1.

• Negative R.I.

• Absolute R.I. can be less

than 1.
Snell’s Law
Snell’s Law
Prism
Prism
Prism
Speed of light changes depending on medium.

When a light ray moves from one medium to another it

changes its speed and direction, however frequency
remains unchanged. Frequency is source dependent while
speed enhance wavelength depends on the medium. This
actually happens for any electromagnetic wave passing
through any medium from any medium into another. And
the interface of the two media will create a normal which
is perpendicular to the local tangent. Angles of incidents
and refraction in the second medium with respect to the
normal. Generally seen that the incident and refracted
light lie on opposite sides of the norm special case takes
Refractive Index
The ratio of speed of light in the first medium to that of
the speed of light in the second medium is found to be
independent of the angles of incidence. We noted that even
when light is incident normally on the interface the speed
does change thus this ratio of speed can be considered as an
inherent property of the pair of media this ratio is called
refractive index of the pair of media. We generally call the
ratios speed of refractive index of second medium with
respect to first medium. The reason for this will become
apparent soon enough. While talking about refractive index
we generally have absolute refractive index of medium and
Snell’s Law
Applications
Image Formation due to Refraction at Plane Surfaces
Won’t Plot for –ve Capacitance
 I) Approximations :
(i) 𝐶 ≪5
→
or 𝐶❑0
3𝐶
𝑄≈
5
𝑥