Chapter 30 Lecture In this lecture you’ll learn

• To develop a general understanding of the nature of light

• To describe the reflection of light from plane surfaces
• To describe the refraction of light at the interface between two
transparent materials
• To recognize total internal
reflection,, and identifyy the
Reflection and Refraction circumstances under which
it occurs
– To understand how optical
fibers work in terms of
refraction and internal
reflection
• To explain how the wavelength
dependence of refraction leads
to dispersion

Slide 30-1 Slide 30-2

Brief History of Light Nature of Light

• Early models of light • Light has a dual wave and
– It was proposed that light consisted of tiny particles particle nature
• Newton – Visible light is a small
– Used the particle model to explain reflection and refraction portion of the
• Huygens electromagnetic
– Explained many light properties by proposing light was wave-like spectrum
• Young
Y – Electromagnetic wave
– Provided strong support for wave theory by showing interference theory provides
• Maxwell explanations of light
– Electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light c propagation and
– Light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum interference
• Einstein – Experiments
E i t involving
i l i
– Built on Planck’s ideas and proposed particle nature of light interaction of light with
– Light is made of photons; each photon has a particular energy that matter are best
depends on the frequency of light explained by assuming
– Explained the photoelectric effect light consists of particles
Slide 30-3 Slide 30-4
 Geometrical Optics Reflection
• When light or other electromagnetic • When light reflects from a surface, the incident and reflected
waves interact with systems much rays make the same angle with the normal to the surface:
larger than the wavelength, it’s a 1  1
good approximation to neglect the – For smooth surfaces, parallel rays all reflect at the same
wave nature of light. angle; this is called specular reflection
– Consider that the light
g travels in – For rough surfaces,
surfaces the law of reflection still holds
holds, but the
a homogeneous medium in angle of incidence varies. As a result, reflected light comes
straight lines called rays off in random directions; this is called diffuse reflection
– Rays are perpendicular to the
wave fronts and the rays’
direction is that of the wave
propagation.
– The ray approximation is also
known as geometrical optics
optics.
Waves are subject to diffraction when the size of the
obstacle is comparable to the wavelength
Slide 30-5 Slide 30-6

Refraction Law of Refraction

• Refraction is the bending g of light
g as it crosses the interface
between two different transparent media. • The angles of incidence and refraction are related by the
• Refraction occurs because the wave Snell’s law:
speed differs in different media
media. n1sin1 = n2sin2
• The index of refraction n = c/v = 0/n
describes the speed and wavelength
change
– The speed of a wave in a medium is v
= c/n

Slide 30-7 Slide 30-8

 Properties of Refraction Example
• When a light ray enters a medium where its speed decreases, Sunlight strikes the surface of a lake. A diver sees the Sun at an
the angle of refraction is less than the angle of incidence, and angle of 42.0° with respect to the vertical. What angle do the
the ray is bent toward the normal. Sun’s rays in air make with the vertical?
• When a light ray enters a medium where its speed increases
increases,
the angle of refraction is greater than the angle of incidence,
and the ray is bent away from the normal. incident ray
• The
Th greatert change
h in
i the
th index
i d off refraction,
f ti the
th greater
t the
th n1 = 1.00; air 1
change in the propagation direction. surface
n2 = 1.33; water

42° n1 sin 1  n2 sin  2

Transmitted
1.00ssin 1  1.333ssin 42
ray Normal sin 1  0.8920
1  63.1

Slide 30-9 Slide 30-10

Clicker Question Clicker Question

Parallel light rays cross interfaces from air into two different A material has an index of refraction that increases
media, 1 and 2, as shown in the figures below. In which of continuously from top to bottom. Of the three paths shown in
the media is the light traveling faster? the figure, which path will a light ray follow as it passes
through the material?

1) medium
di 1 air air 1. P
1 Path
th (a)
( )
2) medium 2 2. Path (b)

3) both the same 1 2 3 Path (c)

3.

Slide 30-11 Slide 30-12

 Clicker Question Clicker Question

A light ray passes through a slab with index of refraction The figure shows the path of a light ray through three different
n2=1.5, which is submerged in a liquid with index of refraction media. Rank the media in order of their refractive indices.
n1=n3=1.2.
12 CCompare 3 with
ith 1 = 30.
30

A. n1  n2  n3
A. 3 > 30 B. n3  n1  n2
B. 3 = 30
30 C. n3  n2  n1
C. 3 < 30 D. n2  n1  n3

Slide 30-13 Slide 30-14

Clicker Question Clicker Question

To shoot a fish with a gun
gun,
1) aim directly at the image
A coin under water appears to be which of the following?
should you aim directly at the
2) aim slightly above
i
image, slightly
li htl above,
b or
A. Nearer to the surface than it really is 3) aim slightly below
B. Farther from the surface than it really is slightly below?
C. As deep as it really is

Slide 30-15 Slide 30-16

 Clicker Question Dispersion
To shoot a fish with a laser 1) aim directly at the image
gun, should you aim directly at • The refractive index depends on
2) aim slightly above
wavelength, and therefore
the image,
image slightly above
above, or 3) aim
i slightly
li htl bbelow
l refraction
f ti disperses
di th
the different
diff t
slightly below? wavelengths in slightly different
directions.
• The index of refraction for a
material usually decreases with
increasing wavelength
wavelength.
• Violet light refracts more than red
light
g when p passingg from air into a
material.

Slide 30-17 Slide 30-18

Clicker Question Rainbow

Consider red and violet rays
y ppassing
g through
g agglass p
prism.
Compare 2 and 3 for the red and violet rays:

A.
A  2violet   2red  3violet   3red
B.  2violet   2red  3violet   3red
C.  2violet   2red  3violet   3red
D.  2violet   2red  3violet   3red

Primary Rainbow

Extra: Which outgoing ray is bent more toward the baseline?

Slide 30-19 Secondary Rainbow See Problems 59 & 60 for details Slide 30-20
 Total Internal Reflection Clicker Question
• If light
g p passes from a medium with a larger
g refractive index into
one with a smaller refractive index, there is a critical angle of
incidence for which the angle of refraction will be 90°: If n1 is the index of refraction for the incident medium and n2
is the index for the refracting medium
medium, the critical angle
sinc = n2/n1 exists
• Total internal reflection
occurs whenh th the iincidence
id A. if n1 < n2.
angle is greater than the
B. if n1 = n2.
critical angle.
g
C
C. if n1 > n2.
• Total internal reflection is
used in prism-based D. never.
reflectors.
reflectors E
E. in all cases
cases.
• Total internal reflection is
the basis for optical
p fibers
used in telecommunications
and medical instruments
Slide 30-21 Slide 30-22

Clicker Question Summary

• The approximation of ray optics or geometrical optics is valid
when waves interact with systems that are much larger than the
A laser beam undergoes two refractions plus total internal wavelength.
reflection at the interface between medium 2 and medium
• Light rays reflect from surfaces with equal angles of incidence
3. Which is true?
and reflection.
• Light
g rays y refract at the interface between different media.
– This occurs because of the speed difference: v = c/n, where
A. n1 < n3 n is the index of refraction.
B n1 > n3
B. – The
Th angles l off incidence
i id andd refraction
f ti are related
l t d by
b Snell’s
S ll’
C. There’s not enough law: n1sin1 = n2sin2.
information to • Total internal reflection occurs at the interface from a material
compare n1 and n3. with greater refractive index to one with lesser refractive index,
provided the incidence angle exceeds the critical angle.
• Dispersion results from
f the wavelength dependence off the
refractive index.
Slide 30-23 Slide 30-24