Refraction

Refraction is the abrupt change in speed and or direction of a wave from one medium to the
next.

Refraction of water waves occurs when the depth of water changes.

As water waves enter deeper water its wavelength and speed increases. But its frequency
remains the same

Diagrams showing Refraction of water waves

Notice that the wavelength is smaller in the shallow water.

The wave slows downs when it enters shallow water

Equation
vd / vs = λd / λs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf1k9-4bb4w

Diagram showing waves coming at an angle to the boundary

Note that the angle in deep water is greater than the angle in shallow water. The wave bends
towards the normal in shallow water

This video gives the steps in drawing the diagrams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaGieycP9_U
If the wave travels in the same direction as the normal, it continues undeviated i.e no bending
occurs.

Refraction of Light waves

Refraction of light waves occurs when light enters a transparent medium with a different
density.

air

glass block
As light enters the glass block its wavelength and speed decreases but its frequency remains the
same. The wave also bends closer to the normal.

Laws of refraction

The incident wave, the refracted wave and the normal all lie in the same plane at the point of
incidence.

Snell’s Law
The ratio of the sine of the angles of incidence to the angles of refraction is constant. This
constant is called the refractive index, n.

General Equation for Snell’s Law

n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2

na sin ia = ng sin θg
where = air and g = glass

Material Refractive index

Air 1.0
Glass 1.5
Water 1.3

The refractive index is sometimes written in this form ang. The first letter denotes where the
wave is coming from and the second letter where the wave is going to, so this wave would be
coming from air and going to glass

n = sin θa / sin θg
a g

ng = sin ia / sin rg

Where
ng = ang
i = angle of incidence
r = angle of refraction

Linking the refractive index to the speed and wavelength

n = v1 / v2 = λ 1 /λ 2
1 2

Example
1. Determine the speed of light in a glass of refractive index 1.5. Speed of light in air 3x10 8
ms-1.

n = va / vg
a g
1.5 = 3x108 ms-1 / vg
vg = 3 x 108 ms-1/ 1.5
= 2 x 108 ms-1