Introducing concise yet comprehensive notes on the fascinating topic of refraction. Spanning just two pages, these notes offer a streamlined and accessible overview, perfect for quick review or on-the-go study sessions.
REFRACTION OF LIGHT
Refraction is the bending of light waves as they enter or cross the boundary between two media
with different densities. The angle at which the reflected ray is bent from the normal line is the angle of
refraction. When light is refracted, the light changes the direction of its motion and its velocity at the
same time.
Light is only refracted when it crosses a boundary between two different media having two different
properties. Materials that allow light to pass through bend the light more than others. This property
is called its optical density or the index of refraction.
Law of refraction was first observed by Willebrord Snellius (Snell), a Dutch physicist, as he described
the relationship of the angle of incidence to the angle of refraction.
n = index of refraction
c = speed of light in a vacuum (3 x 10^8 m/s)
v = speed of light in the material
The higher the index of refraction, the slower the velocity of light. As a result the light will bend
toward the normal line.
The lower the index of refraction, the faster the velocity of light. As a result the light will bend away
from the normal line.
Lenses
● Lenses - are transparent materials made of either glass or plastic
- refract light by bending it toward the thickest part of the lenses
● Converging (Convex) - thick in the middle and thin at the edges
● Diverging (Concave) - thin in the middle and thick at the edges
Convex Lens (Converging) Focus - the single point where light rays converge
Vertex - intersection point of the vertical and the
principal axis
Focal length - distance between the focus and the
vertex
The images formed by the lens depend on the focal
length of the lens, the distance of the object to the lens,
and the kind of lens used to produce the image.
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