10 - Refraction

Thursday 13 June 2024 1
3.3 – Refraction Learning objective: explore one of the key phenomena

of light and its applications: refraction
Starter Success criteria:

 Recall what is refraction
 Understand role of wavefronts in refraction
1. What is the law of reflection?  Carry out practical
2. What happens to light at a boundary?
3. A student measures an angle of incidence (47o) – what angle of

reflection would he expect to measure?
Challenge Support Video

4. Calculate the speed of a radio wave that has period 89 Support
milliseconds and wavelength 3 km.
Keywords
Ray, Refraction, Boundary, Normal Angle, Incident Angle, Reflected Angle
3.3 – Refraction
Starter Purple Pen: Self-Assessment
1. Calculate the speed of a wave that has a frequency of 4 M Hz and a wavelength of 8 cm.
TBC
2. Calculate the speed of a radio wave that has period 0.002 milliseconds and wavelength 10 km.
TBC
3. Calculate the period of a wave that has speed 2000 m/s and wavelength 4 km.
TBC
Challenge
4. Calculate the speed of a wave that has period 0.04 seconds and wavelength 20 m.
TBC
3
Waves
Learning Journey
1.1 – Describing Waves
1.2 – Wave Equation
1.3 – Types of Waves
1.4 – Electromagnetic Spectrum
2.1 – Sound Waves

2.2 – Measuring Sound Waves
2.3 – Assessment
3.1 – Reflection
3.2 – Total Internal Reflection
3.3 – Refraction
3.3 – Refraction
Introduction
Task: what is happening here? Why do the straws look bent?
3.3 – Refraction
Refraction
When waves (like light) pass from one medium to another the speed of them changes. This causes the angle
they are travelling to change. This is called refraction.
When the waves enter an area where the water is shallower (or deeper)
the waves change speed and direction.
They have the same frequency.
What does this tell you about the wavelength?
(Hint: v = f λ)
3.3 – Refraction
Refraction
image of
prey
prey location
3.3 – Refraction
Refraction
When waves pass from one medium into another – there is a change in speed but frequency remains constant.
This change in speed causes a change in wavelength.
If light approaches an interface between two mediums at an angle then the change in speed causes a change in
direction as well.
This is called refraction.
Task: explain why refraction happens?

3.3 – Refraction
Refraction
Any way crossing an interface along the normal line does not change direction at all – as all wavefronts are
parallel to the edge therefore their wavelength is equally change along the length of the wavefront.
If the wavefront is at an angle to the interface, then the part that hits first will change speed first – wavefront
becomes bent because different parts of it are travelling at different spends.
The change in direction caused by refraction are the

basis for the functioning of lenses, and can lead to
optical illusions.
3.3 – Refraction
Refractive Index
Different materials can bend rays of light by different amounts – describe this by using a number called the
refractive index (n).
Refractive index of glass is about 1.5 and water is 1.3 – under similar conditions glass will refract light more
than water.
We can use the equation below to calculate the refractive index of a material:
n= sin i
sin r
n = refractive index
i = angle of incidence in degrees
r = angle of refraction in degrees
3.3 – Refraction
Refractive Index
We can use the equation below to calculate the refractive index of a material:
n= sin i
sin r
n = refractive index
i = angle of incidence in degrees
r = angle of refraction in degrees
Task: in an experiment, student measures the angle of incidence as 30 o and angle of

refraction as 19o. Calculate the refractive index of the glass block.
3.3 – Refraction
Mirage
Light passes through two layers of air with different temperatures. Desert sun heats the sand, which in turn
heats the air just above it.
Hot air bends light rays and reflects the sky.
When seen from the distance, different air masses colliding with each other act like a mirror.
When light moves through the cold air and into the layer of hot air it is refracted.
3.3 – Refraction
Investigation – Safety
Carry out an investigate to calculate the refractive index of Perspex.
Apparatus
Power Pack
Ray Box
Slit
Perspex Block
Protractor
Ruler
3.3 – Refraction
Investigation – Method
1. Place block in middle of paper and trace it and mark normal on one side.
2. Shine a ray of light onto one side of the block and the ray will emerge – mark this on your sheet.
3. Draw in the direction of the ray that travelled inside the block.
4. Measure angle of incidence (i) and refraction (r)
5. Calculate refractive index for different values of (i)

3.3 – Refraction
Investigation – Results
Task: copy the table and obtain angle of refraction and then calculate refractive index.
Angle of Incidence ( Angle of Refraction ( Refractive

i) r) Index, n
0 0
32 18
47 42
43 26
30 20
3.3 – Refraction
3.3 – Refraction
3.3 – Refraction
3.3 – Refraction
3.3 – Refraction
3.3 – Refraction
Refractive Index - Evaluation
Task: explain why what happens;
1. As the light ray moved from air into Perspex?
2. As the light ray moved from Perspex into air?
3. If the angle of incidence = 0°?
Challenge
4. What do you notice about the incident ray and the emergent ray?
3.3 – Refraction
Refraction – Air to Perspex Purple Pen: Self-Assessment
As the light ray moved from air into Perspex?
As the light ray moved from air into perspex it

moved towards the normal.
If light rays move from a less dense medium (air) to

a more dense medium (perspex) they ‘bend’ towards
the normal.
3.3 – Refraction
As the light ray moved from Perspex into air?
As the light ray moved from perspex

into air it moved away from the
normal.
If light rays move from a more dense

medium (perspex) to a less dense
medium (air) they ‘bend’ away from
the normal.
3.3 – Refraction
If the angle of incidence = 0°?
When the angle of incidence is 0o the

light ray is not deviated from its path.
3.3 – Refraction
Challenge
4. What do you notice about the incident ray and the emergent ray?
If you were running along a In a similar way as light moves from

beach and then ran into the one medium to another of different
water when would you be density the speed of light changes.
moving slower, in the water or
on the beach? Do you think light moves faster or
slower as the density of the medium it
travels through increases?
In the water Light moves more slowly through

denser media.
25
Plenary – Critical Thinking Grid

Challenge: connect 5
colours based on your
learning in the lesson.
Learning objective:
explore one of the key
phenomena of light and its
applications: refraction
Success criteria:
 Recall what is
refraction
 Understand role of
wavefronts in refraction
 Carry out practical

10 - Refraction

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Thursday 13 June 2024 1

3.3 – Refraction Learning objective: explore one of the key phenomena

Starter Success criteria:

2. What happens to light at a boundary?

3. A student measures an angle of incidence (47o) – what angle of

Challenge Support Video

2.1 – Sound Waves

They have the same frequency.

What does this tell you about the wavelength?

This is called refraction.

Task: explain why refraction happens?

The change in direction caused by refraction are the

Task: in an experiment, student measures the angle of incidence as 30 o and angle of

Hot air bends light rays and reflects the sky.

4. Measure angle of incidence (i) and refraction (r)

5. Calculate refractive index for different values of (i)

Angle of Incidence ( Angle of Refraction ( Refractive

1. As the light ray moved from air into Perspex?

2. As the light ray moved from Perspex into air?

3. If the angle of incidence = 0°?

Task: explain why what happens;

As the light ray moved from air into Perspex?

As the light ray moved from air into perspex it

If light rays move from a less dense medium (air) to

As the light ray moved from Perspex into air?

As the light ray moved from perspex

If light rays move from a more dense

If the angle of incidence = 0°?

When the angle of incidence is 0o the

If you were running along a In a similar way as light moves from

In the water Light moves more slowly through

Plenary – Critical Thinking Grid

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