Light

Light
In optically homogeneous medium light travel in straight line.
Refraction : When light travels from one optical medium to another optical
medium obliquely it bend from its path this phenomenon of bending of light
is called refraction.
What is the cause of refraction of light when it passes from one medium to
another?
When a ray of light passes from one optical medium to another optical
medium, its direction or path changes because of the change in speed of
light in different media
Note : Speed of light is different in different optical mediums
8
 In air = 3 x 10 m/s (Optically rarer medium)
8
In water = 2.25 x10 m/s (Optically denser medium)
8
In glass = 2 X10 m/s
Terminology of Refraction :
• Optical Medium: The medium capable of transmitting light is

called as an optical medium.
• Incident ray: The light ray, which is falling on reflecting or refracting

surface is called the incident ray
• Point of incidence: The point at which the incident ray cuts the
reflecting or refracting surface is called the point of incidence.
• Normal: A perpendicular drawn to the surface at the point of

incidence is called the normal.
• Angle of incidence: The angle made by the incident ray with the normal
at the point of incidence is called the angle of incidence. It is denoted by ‘i’.
• Angle of Refraction: The angle made by the refracted ray with the normal
at the point of incidence is called the angle of refraction. It is denoted by ‘r’.
• Angle of Deviation: The angle between the direction of the incident ray to
the direction of the refracted ray is called the angle of deviation, it is
denoted by ‘8’.
• Glancing Angle: The angle made by incident ray with a refracting surface
or interface is called a glancing angle.
Law of Refraction :
1. The 1st law states that the incident ray, the normaI to the point of
incidence and the refracted ray all lie in the same plane.
2. The second law is based on the pair of media through which the light
undergoes refraction .
It states that the ratio of sine of angle of incidence to the sine of angle of
refraction is always constant and is known as the refractive index of the
second medium with respect to the first.
Sin i /sin r = constant ( Refractive index)
Refractive index :
It represent the bending property of optical medium greater the refractive

index greater is the bending.
Refractive index of a medium ¡s the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to

the speed of light in that medium.
Refractive index has no unit

Formula :
Note : Mediums with higher values of refractive index are optically denser
than mediums with lower values of refractive index.
e.g. water is optically denser than air but optically rarer than glass.
Some Salient Points
 Whenever light travels from a rarer medium to a denser medium, it

bends towards the normal i.e. the angle of refraction is less than the
angle of incidence.
 Whenever light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium, it

bends away from the normal i.e. the angle of refraction is greater than
the angle of incidence.
Conditions for no change in direction of a light ray on refraction.
1. Whenever a ray of light passes from one medium to another medium at

a right angle to the surface separating the two media, it does not bend
i.e. it goes in its original direction.
2. When the refractive index of medium 2 is same as that of the refractive

index of medium 1.
Refraction through a glass slab:
The angle of emergence is equal to the angle of incidence i.e. ∠e=∠i.
The emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray.
The length AB is the lateral displacement.

Effects of refraction of light
 It is due to refraction of light that when we hold a stick obliquely and

partially immersed in water it appears to be bend at the surface of
water.
 An object appears to be raised when paced under water.

 Pool of water appears less deep than it actually is.
 If a lemon is kept in a glass of water it appears to be bigger when viewed
from the sides of glass.
 It is due to refraction of light that stars appear to twinkle at night.
State whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Correct the
false statements. :
1. A coin is kept in an empty glass container such that it is not visible to

you. But if water is poured in the container, the coin becomes visible.
2. The first law of refraction states that the angle of incidence, the
normal to the point of incidence and the angle of refraction all lie in
the same plane.
3. A ray of light travelling along the normal also suffers refraction.
4. A swimming pool appears to be shallow than its actual depth due to

refraction of light.
5. The speed of light in a medium of higher refractive index is more.

Refraction through Prism :
Prism is a triangular glass, which has two triangular bases

and three rectangular lateral surfaces
 The unique shape of the prism makes the emergent ray bend at an
angle to the direction of the incident ray and this angle is known as
the angle of deviation.
 The angle between two lateral faces of a prism is known as the angle of
the prism
1. Angle of Prism: A glass prism has two triangular bases and three
rectangular lateral surfaces that are inclined at an angle, called the
angle of the prism.
2. A glass prism PQR has been kept on its base QR. A ray of light AB is
incident on the faces PQ of the prism. Here AB is an incident ray.
3. When a ray of light passes through a prism, it bends towards the base
of the prism: The incident ray AB is incident is going from air(rare
medium) into glass (denser medium), so it bends towards the normal
BN’ and goes along the direction BC inside the glass prism. Thus BC is
the refracted ray of light which bends towards the base QR of the
prism.
4. When the ray of light BC travelling in the glass prism comes out into
air at point C, refraction takes place again.
5. Since the ray BC is going from the glass (denser medium) into
air(rarer medium), the ray bends away from the normal MC and goes
along the direction CD in the form of emergent ray.
 The prism splits the incident white light into a band of colors.
this order is named as ‘VIBGYOR.’
is constituted after taking first letter of all the following colours −
 V − Violet
 I − Indigo
 B – Blue
 G − Green
 Y − Yellow
 O − Orange
 R − Red
spectrum and VIBGYOR is the sequence of colours
dispersion.
different bending angles in respect to the incident

ray; the red light bends least whereas the violet bends the most .
distinct
Note : Rainbow appear opposite to sun.
Why does the sun appear to be red in colour during sunset and sunrise?
The sun appears to be red in colour during sunrise and sunset because light travels the maximum
distance through the atmosphere to reach the observer. As a result of scattering, the light loses
colours with shorter wavelengths, i.e., violet, indigo, blue, green and yellow. Therefore, only
orange and red colour reach us and the sun appears to be red in colour.
Note : Red light is used as signal becoz it has maximum wavelength it can
travel to greater distance and also it is scattered least

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Light

In optically homogeneous medium light travel in straight line.

Note : Speed of light is different in different optical mediums

• Optical Medium: The medium capable of transmitting light is

• Incident ray: The light ray, which is falling on reflecting or refracting

• Normal: A perpendicular drawn to the surface at the point of

Sin i /sin r = constant ( Refractive index)

It represent the bending property of optical medium greater the refractive

Refractive index of a medium ¡s the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to

Refractive index has no unit

Some Salient Points

 Whenever light travels from a rarer medium to a denser medium, it

 Whenever light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium, it

1. Whenever a ray of light passes from one medium to another medium at

2. When the refractive index of medium 2 is same as that of the refractive

Refraction through a glass slab:

The angle of emergence is equal to the angle of incidence i.e. ∠e=∠i.

The emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray.

The length AB is the lateral displacement.

 It is due to refraction of light that when we hold a stick obliquely and

 An object appears to be raised when paced under water.

1. A coin is kept in an empty glass container such that it is not visible to

3. A ray of light travelling along the normal also suffers refraction.

4. A swimming pool appears to be shallow than its actual depth due to

5. The speed of light in a medium of higher refractive index is more.

Prism is a triangular glass, which has two triangular bases

this order is named as ‘VIBGYOR.’

is constituted after taking first letter of all the following colours −

spectrum and VIBGYOR is the sequence of colours

different bending angles in respect to the incident

Note : Rainbow appear opposite to sun.

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