Chapter 09

Ray Optics & Optical Instruments

Refraction of Light

• It is the phenomenon by virtue of which a ray of light going from one

medium to another medium a change in its velocity.
Laws of Refraction
• The sine of angle of incidence bears a constant ratio with the sine of
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒊
angle of refraction. i.e. = 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕. This law is often termed as
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒓
Snell’s law.
• The incident ray, refracted ray and the normal to the interface at a
point of incidence all lie in one plane.
Refractive Index
• According to Snell’s law-

𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒊
= 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 = 𝟏𝒏𝟐
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒓
Where, 𝟏𝒏𝟐 is called refractive index of medium 2 w.r.t medium 1.
• Relative refractive index:
Refractive index of medium 2 w.r.t 1 is
defined as the ratio between velocity of
light in medium 1 to the velocity of light
in medium 2.
𝟏 𝑣1
𝒏𝟐 =
𝑣2

Absolute refractive index(𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝝁):

If the 1st medium is air or vacuum, the
refractive index is written as 𝟎𝒏𝟐 or 𝒏
is known as absolute refractive index.
𝒄
𝒏=
𝒗
Cause of Refraction of light
• Refraction of light takes place because the speed of changes, when it
goes from one medium to another medium.
We know that
𝟏 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑖
𝒏𝟐 = (Snell’s law)
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑟

𝟏 𝑣1
Also, 𝒏𝟐 =
𝑣2

𝟏 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑖 𝑣1
Therefore, 𝒏𝟐 = =
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑟 𝑣2
Cause of Refraction of light cont…
• Case 1: If 𝑣1 >𝑣2 , then 𝟏𝒏𝟐 >1 and sin 𝑖 > sin 𝑟 or 𝑖 > 𝑟.
Cause of Refraction of light cont…
• Case 2: If 𝑣1 < 𝑣2 , then 𝟏𝒏𝟐 <1 and sin 𝑖 < sin 𝑟 or 𝑖 < 𝑟.
 𝑣1 𝑣1 /𝑐 1/𝑛1
• Note: 𝟏
𝒏𝟐 =
𝑣2
=
𝑣2 /𝑐
=
1/𝑛2

𝟏 𝒏𝟐
𝒏𝟐 =
𝒏𝟏

𝟐 𝒏𝟏
𝒏𝟏 =
𝒏𝟐

𝟏 𝟏
𝒏𝟐 = 𝟐
𝒏𝟏

For Example:
𝒂𝒊𝒓
𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 = 𝒂𝒏𝒈 = 𝟏. 𝟓

𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒈 𝟏
𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒓 = 𝒏𝒂 = = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟕
𝟏. 𝟓

𝒂
Formula: 𝒏 𝒃 × 𝒃𝒏 𝒄 = 𝒂𝒏 𝒄
 3
Ex: What is the speed of light in a medium whose refractive index is ? Given
2
speed of light in air = 3 × 108 𝑚/𝑠.

3
• Solution: Here, 𝑛 = 𝑐 = 3 × 108 𝑚/𝑠
2
We know that,
𝑐
𝑛=
𝑣

3 3 × 108
=
2 𝑣

𝑣 = 2 × 108 𝑚/𝑠
Ex: If the refractive index of glass with respect to air is 3/2 and
refractive index of water w.r.t air is 4/3. Find the refractive index of
glass w.r.t water.
• Solution: Given,
𝒂 𝟑 𝒂 𝟒 𝒘
𝒏𝒈 = , 𝒏𝒘 = , 𝒏𝒈 =?
𝟐 𝟑
We Know that,
𝒘
𝒏𝒈 = 𝒘𝒏𝒂 × 𝒂𝒏𝒈
𝒂
𝒏𝒈
= 𝒂
𝒏𝒘

3/2
=
4/3

9
=
8

= 1.33
Paraxial Rays:
 Eye
Real and Apparent depth
𝒅 → Real depth
air
𝒅′ → Apparent depth 𝒏𝟏

𝒅 and 𝒅′ are always measured Surface

from the surface. 𝒅′
I
𝒏𝟐 → refractive index of the
Medium through which light 𝒅
appear to come.
𝒏𝟏 → refractive index of the 𝒏𝟐
Medium in which light is
going. Water
O
 Eye
Real and Apparent depth cont…
A/C to Snell’s law –
𝒏𝟐 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒊 = 𝒏𝟏 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒓 air
𝒏𝟏
Since Rays are paraxial. r
i.e < 𝒊 & < 𝒓 are very small. So, x
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒊 ≈ 𝒊 ≈ 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝒊
𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝒓 ≈ 𝒓 ≈ 𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝒓 𝒅′ r

Therefore, 𝒏𝟐 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝒊 = 𝒏𝟏 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝒓 I i

𝒙 𝒙
⇒ 𝒏𝟐 = 𝒏𝟏 ′
𝒅 𝒅 𝒅
𝒅 𝒏𝟐
⇒ ′=
𝒅 𝒏𝟏 i 𝒏𝟐

𝒏𝟐 𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒉 Water

= ′=
𝒏𝟏 𝒅 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑫𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒉 O
 Bird
Q. Find the apparent depth of fish as seen by bird.

We Know that 36 Cm
𝒏𝟐 𝒅
= ′ Air (𝒏 = 𝟏)
𝒏𝟏 𝒅
4/3 24 18 Cm
⇒ = ′
1 𝑑
⇒ 𝑑′ = 18 𝐶𝑚 24 Cm

The apparent depth of fish as seen by

Fish
bird 36 + 18 = 54 𝐶𝑚 𝟒
Water (𝒏 = 𝟑 )
 Bird
Q. Find the apparent height of Bird as seen by Fish.
We Know that 48 Cm
36 Cm
𝒏𝟐 𝒅
= ′ Air (𝒏 = 𝟏)
𝒏𝟏 𝒅
1 36
⇒ = ′
4/3 𝑑
⇒ 𝑑′ = 48 𝐶𝑚 24 Cm

The apparent height of Bird as seen by Fish

24 + 48 = 72 𝐶𝑚 Fish
𝟒
Water (𝒏 = 𝟑 )
Total internal reflection
Optical phenomenon observed when a ray of light travelling from Denser to rarer medium
strikes the boundary at an angle grater than critical angle.

Conditions
• Light ray travels from denser to rarer
medium.
• The angle of incidence must be grater than
the critical angle for the given pair of media.
Calculation for critical angle:

A/C to Snell’s Law, When 𝜃1 = 𝜃𝑐 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜃2 = 900 Then

sin 𝜃1 𝑛2 sin 𝜃𝑐 𝑛2 𝑛2 1
= = ⇒ sin 𝜃𝑐 = = 1𝑛 2 =
sin 𝜃2 𝑛1
sin 900 𝑛1 𝑛
1 2𝑛 1
⇒ 𝑛1 sin 𝜃1 =𝑛2 sin 𝜃2
Note:
• 𝑛2 →Refractive index of rarer medium → small number.
• 𝑛1 →Refractive index of denser medium → large number.
𝑛2 (𝑟𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑟)
• sin 𝜃𝑐 = <1
𝑛1 (𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑟)
• For rarer medium air (𝑛2 =1), 𝑛1 = 𝑛 then
1
sin 𝜃𝑐 =
𝑛
Ex: What is the value of refractive index of a medium, if the critical
angle is 420 .

• We know that
1 1
sin 𝜃𝑐 = =
2𝑛 1 𝑛
1
⇒𝑛=
sin 𝜃𝑐
1 1
⇒𝑛= 0
= = 1.49
sin 42 0.6691
Ex: Complete the path of ray
(i)
𝟒𝟐𝟎

glass
Air
Solution:
(i)
𝟒𝟐𝟎 𝟒𝟐𝟎
𝟒𝟖𝟎 𝟒𝟖𝟎 𝟒𝟖𝟎
glass
𝟒𝟐𝟎
Air
Ex: Complete the path of ray
(ii)
Critical angle =𝟒𝟐𝟎
450
Air

glass
Solution:
(ii)
Critical angle =𝟒𝟐𝟎
450
450 Air
450
450

glass
Ex: Complete the path of ray
(iii) Given –
𝟑
𝒏𝒈 =
300 Air
𝟐
𝒏𝒂 = 𝟏
𝑪 = 𝟒𝟐𝟎

glass 600
Solution:
A/C to Snell’s Law-
(iii)
30 0
Air 𝒏𝒈 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝟑𝟎𝟎 = 𝒏𝒂 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒓
600 𝑟 = 490 𝟑 𝟏
⇒ × = 𝟏 × 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝒓
300
𝟐 𝟐
𝟑
⇒ 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝒓 =
𝟒
glass 600 −𝟏
𝟑
⇒ 𝒓 = 𝐬𝐢𝐧
𝟒
⇒ 𝒓 = 𝟒𝟗𝟎
Ex: Complete the path of ray
(iv) Given –
𝟑
𝒏𝒈 =
600 Air
𝟐
𝒏𝒂 = 𝟏
𝑪 = 𝟒𝟐𝟎

glass 300
Solution:
(iv)
A/C to Snell’s Law-

600 𝒏𝒈 sin 300 = 𝜇𝑎 sin 𝑟

300 3 1
600 ⇒ × = 1 × sin 𝑟
2 2
600 3
⇒ sin 𝑟 =
300 4
3
300 ⇒ 𝑟 = sin−1
4
300
600 ⇒ 𝑟 = 490

𝑟 = 490
Application 1: Optical fiber
Very useful in telecommunication industry.

Why Optical fibers?

• Light weight
• Small size
• Greater information carrying capacities than metallic wires.
 How Optical Fiber work?

It Consist of:
• Core: High refractive index
• Cladding: Low refractive index
Application 2: Totally reflecting prisms

• Total internal reflection in glass depends on the fact that its critical
angle is approximately 42o .
• 90o Deviation with a right angle prism

• 180o Deviation with a right angle prism

Thank you