Refraction of light by a

semi-circular block.
Refracted Ray
When a ray of light travels
through a semi-circular block,
the ray will be refracted ………
Angle of
R
Refraction

Angle of Reflected Ray

I
Incidence

…… but there will also

be some reflection.
Incident Ray
Refraction of light by a
semi-circular block.
As the incident ray approaches
the ‘critical angle’
(approximately 42o) the
refracted ray travels at right-
angles to the normal. Refracted Ray

Incident Ray
Reflected Ray

There is now
more internal
reflection
Refraction of light by a
semi-circular block.

If the incident ray now enters the block at an

angle greater than the critical angle (42o) no
light is refracted.

Incident Ray Reflected Ray

All light is now reflected at the boundary. This

is known as TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION
Refraction of light by a
semi-circular block.
Medium Critical
angle If the incident ray now enters the block at an
Water 49o angle greater than the critical angle (42o) no
Perspex 42o light is refracted.
Glass 41o
Diamond 24o

Incident Ray Reflected Ray

All light is now reflected at the boundary. This

is known as TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION
 Supplement
Refraction Calculations

Snell’s Law
When light is
refracted, an increase
in the angle of
incidence i produces
an increase in the
angle of refraction r.

Sin i = constant
Sin r
 Supplement
Refraction Calculations

Snell’s Law

Air i = 15o i = 45o i = 60o

Glass r = 10o r = 28o r = 35o

sin 15o = 0.26 sin 45o = 0.71 sin 60o = 0.87

sin 10o = 0.17 sin 28o = 0.47 sin 35o = 0.57

= 1.5 = 1.5 = 1.5

 Supplement
Refraction Calculations

Snell’s Law …and Refractive Index

Refractive Index = Sin i

Sin r
 Supplement
Refraction Calculations

Snell’s Law …and Refractive Index

RI = sin i
sin r
Air
Refractive Index = Sin i
Sin r 1.33 = sin 45o
i = 45 o
sin r

sin r = sin 45o

RI =
1.33 ? 1.33

sin r = 0.532
Water
r = 32o
 Supplement
Refraction Calculations

Snell’s Law …and Refractive Index …and Critical Angles!

If the angle of incidence is

greater than the critical
angle, we will get total
internal reflection.
 Supplement
Refraction Calculations

Snell’s Law …and Refractive Index …and Critical Angles!

If the RI of glass = 1.5: sin c = 1 = 0.67 c = 42o

1.5

If the ray direction is

Critical angle
Incident Ray reversed, the angle of
incidence is now 90o, and the
c angle ‘c’ is now the angle of
refraction (critical angle).
Refracted
Ray RI = sin i = sin90o
sin c sin c
RI = 1 sin c = 1
sin c RI
 Supplement
Refraction Calculations

Snell’s Law …and Refractive Index …and Critical Angles!

The refractive index of a medium is usually

If the RI of glass = 1.5: sin c = 1 = 0.67 c = 42 o

denoted as ‘n’. 1.5

Forangle
Critical a medium ofIncident
refractive
Ray
index n: sin c = 1
n
c

eg. What is the critical angle for diamond if the refractive index (n) = 2.42?

sin c = 1 = 1 = 0.413 critical angle for diamond = 24.4 o

n 2.42
Lenses and Refraction

Convex lens Concave lens

Converging Diverging lens

lens
Principal focus Principal focus

Focal length Focal length

 Lenses and Refraction

What happens to Convex lens

light as it passes
through the lens?

As light passes through the

first face of the lens it
bends towards the normal
(refraction)
As light passes through the
second face of the lens it
bends away from the normal
(refraction)
 Lenses and Ray Diagrams
- Predicting where a convex lens will form an
image.
Standard Ray 1 – passes
through the centre of the lens Standard Ray 2 – parallel to
the principal axis, and then
passes through F after leaving
object
the lens.

F1 F
The image
produced is
Standard Ray 3 – passes real, inverted
through F1, and then leaves and smaller
the lens parallel to the
principal axis.
than the
object.
As the object is
moved closer towards
Only two of the the lens, the image
standard rays are becomes bigger and
required to work further away.
out where they go.
 Uses of Convex Lenses
1. In a projector
 Uses of Convex Lenses
1. As a magnifying glass

F1 F
Object
between F1
and lens
 Uses of Convex Lenses
2. As a magnifying glass

F1 F
Object
between F1
and lens
 Uses of Convex Lenses
2. As a magnifying glass The rays appear to be coming from a
position behind the lens. The image
is upright and magnified, and it is
called a virtual image because no
rays actually meet to form it and
the image cannot be formed on a
screen.

F1 F
The image Object
is virtual, between F1
upright and lens
and
magnified.
Ray Diagram for a Concave Lens
- Predicting where a concave lens will form an image.

F
Ray Diagram for a Concave Lens
- Predicting where a concave lens will form an image.

object

F
The image is
virtual,
upright and
diminished
(smaller
than the
object).