Waves & Optics Revision 3

Waves & Optics
Part 3: Snell’s Law

Total Internal Reflection
Snell’s Law
The change in speed and wavelength at the boundary between two materials causes
light to change direction
Snell’s law : n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2
The more optically dense the material, the slower the speed of light in that material.
Refractive Index
If 1 represents the angle of the light ray to the normal in the less dense
medium, and 2 represents the angle of the ray to the normal in the denser
medium;  Then:
1
sin 1
n = sin 
2 2
2
glass The ratio of the two sin  s gives the same
air refractive index , and this relationship is called
1 Snell’s Law.
Refractive Index and the Speed of Light
Light travels fastest in vacuum at 3 × 108 m/s. It travels slower in water and in glass because the speed of
light depends on the refractive index of the medium that the light travels in.
For light travelling from vacuum (or air) into glass, the expression involving the ratio of sin i and sin r is
called the refractive index of glass, ng.
ng = sin θv
sin θg
It has been proven that the refractive index of a medium can be expressed as the ratio
of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in that medium.
Mathematically,
n= c
v
where,
c is the speed of light in air
v is the speed of light in the medium
Refractive index, n
The refractive index of a medium is the ratio of the speed of light in one medium to
speed of light in the other.
air V air
glass
V air
V glass n= V
glass
V air
Refractive index, n
Since the frequency of light does not change when it passes through media of
different optical densities, a decrease in speed when light travels from air to glass is
accompanied by a decrease in its wavelength
air V air
glass
  air V air
V glass n=  = V glass
glass
V air
Question
A light ray of frequency 6 x 1014 Hz travels from air into a glass block with refractive
index of 1.6. The angle of incidence is 10° .
Calculate: (a) The angle of refraction
(b) The speed of light in the glass block; and
(c) The wavelength of light when it is travelling in the glass block.
Question
The speed of light in water is 2.25 x 108 m/s and in air is 3.0 x 108 m/s.
(a) Calculate the refractive index from air to water.
(b) If a ray of light passing from air into water is incident at the surface at an angle of
30°, calculate the angle of refraction in the water.
Refraction in Everyday Life
The brain tells the viewer that light travels in a straight line.
Because of refraction, the light rays coming from the submerged part of the pencil
appears to be at a higher plane.
This is why the pencil appears bent even though the viewer knows that the pencil is
straight.
This effect also explains why swimming pools appear shallower

than they really are.
Total Internal Reflection
As the angle of incidence increases, the angle of refraction increases as well.
air air air

glass glass glass
There is a limiting angle in the optically denser medium, called the critical angle, c,
which produces a maximum angle of refraction (90 degrees) in the optically less
dense medium.
If incident angle > critical angle:
➢ No light ray from the optically denser medium will be refracted.

➢ All light rays will be internally reflected into the optically denser medium.
The critical angle, c, is defined as the angle of incidence in a slower medium which
produces an angle of refraction of 90 °
Total internal reflection only occurs when:
➢ A light ray is from the optically denser medium and approaching the optically less dense medium.
➢ The angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle.
Examples of Total Internal Reflection
Optical fibers
Dispersion of White Light
A prism disperses white light into a band of colours. It is a phenomenon due to the refraction
of light.
How does refraction cause white light to be dispersed?

Each wavelength that makes up the white light has a slightly different angle of refraction.
Videos to check
Radio waves: https://www.britannica.com/science/radio-wave
Microwaves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgQQb1BVnu8
Infrared waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8caGm9Fmh0
Diffraction in a prism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aggi0g67uXM

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Waves & Optics

Part 3: Snell’s Law

Snell’s law : n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2

This effect also explains why swimming pools appear shallower

air air air

If incident angle > critical angle:

➢ No light ray from the optically denser medium will be refracted.

Total internal reflection only occurs when:

How does refraction cause white light to be dispersed?

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