Light Phenomena

By: Arneet Arora

The image above displays a light phenomenon known as
refraction. Refraction is the bending of light when it
transitions from one medium to another. Each medium has
an optical density that dictates the speed of light when it
passes through. This particular number is known as the index
of refraction; the higher the index of refraction, the slower
light passes through that material. When light passes from
one material to the other at an angle, the change of speed
causes the ray of light to bend. A ray of light passing from a
faster medium to a slower one causes the refracted ray to
bend towards the normal. Similarly, a ray of light passing
from a slower medium to a faster one, causes the refracted ray
to bend away from the normal. A ray of light that transitions
from 1 medium to another at a 90° angle would continue to
pass through in a straight line. It is due to the refraction of
light that things such as lenses, rainbows, and magnifying
glasses occur as they do ("Refraction of Light").

As can be seen from the image, the plastic straw that looks quite ordinary from the top, appears to be inflated and
broken inside the water. Above the water, the light travels through the air and reflects off the object, creating an
image for our eyes. However, as we shift our gaze towards the straw underwater, the light now has to travel through
the water and glass to create an image. Both water and glass have a higher index of refraction than the first medium
(air), causing the rays of light to refract towards the normal on multiple occasions. Our brains simply cannot decipher
these effects and therefore, the straw appears to be distorted in the human eye (Maldarelli).

Impact on Technology:
From when they were first perceived to their significance in society
today, the evolution of light and light phenomena has helped humans
develop various pieces of technology. These technological
advancements harness the principles of light to assist humans in
reaching new milestones. For example, microscopes allow scientists to
study cells, bacteria and etc through the implementation of convex
lenses that magnify objects for the human eye. Similarly, the Single
Lens Reflex (SLR) camera is an invention that has helped humans
capture images digitally or in films. The convex lens that is placed in
the neck of the camera, captures all the reflected rays in the frame and
retracts them through the glass, producing a smaller-sized, inverted
real image. Those rays of light are then reflected off a slanted mirror,
through a translucent screen, and onto a pentaprism until they can are
projected onto the viewfinder window as an upright image. The
button pressed to capture an image opens the shutters of the camera
for a split second, capturing any rays of light that pass through and
therefore creating the image we see. Needless to say, since the camera
uses a convex lens, the object must be located beyond the focal point
for the camera to produce a real image; the further away the object is
located, the smaller the real image shall be. Most cameras used today
have evolved much more than the standard SLR, however, the rays of
light are still harnessed pretty much the same way to produce images.
Cameras have improved society by allowing humans to capture
important moments and reminisce past memories.
 References
The camera. (n.d.). Retrieved December 26, 2021, from https://www.cyberphysics.co.uk/topics/light/camera.htm
Claire Maldarelli | Published Feb 21, Claire Maldarelli is the Science Editor at Popular Science. She has a particular
interest in brain science, Head Trip illusions lenses light march-april 2017, Trip, H., Illusions, Lenses, Light, &
2017, march-april. (2021, April 26). Why does this straw look like it's broken? Popular Science. Retrieved
December 26, 2021, from https://www.popsci.com/why-does-this-straw-look-like-its-broken/
Google. (n.d.). Google slides - create and edit presentations online, for free. Google. Retrieved December 26, 2021,
fromhttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iDL6CXIxZoZEQmIXy7MAD3PTigVBWiz2rxAe1cwPmcQ
/edit#slide=id.p1
Refraction of light. Science Learning Hub. (n.d.). Retrieved December 26, 2021, from https://www.sciencelearn.org.
nz/resources/49-refraction-of-light