Optics
Session 7:
Reflection and Refraction
Things can be described with different
perspectives. Depending on the method
you’re using, you’ll have different explanations.
Dual Nature of Light
→ Light has a dual nature and can be described as both a wave
and as a particle.
PARTICLE WAVE
CORPUSCULAR HUYGEN’S
THEORY PRICIPLE
- Reflection
- Refraction
- Interference
- Diffraction
Reflection and Refraction
→ Law of Reflection
The angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence for all
wavelengths and for any pair of materials.
𝜃! = 𝜃" (Law of Reflection)
Types of Angles
Examples:
→ Adjacent Angle → ∠1 and ∠2
→ Opposite Angle → ∠1 and ∠3
→ Complementary Angle → ∠n + ∠n = 90°
→ Supplementary Angle → ∠5 + ∠6 = 180°
→ Corresponding Angle → ∠2 and ∠6
Let’s Practice
→ On the diagram below, a ray of light is incident towards a plane mirror at
an angle of 30° with the mirror surface. What must be the angle of
reflection (θr)?
𝜃! = 60°
Let’s Practice
In a physics lab, John Ray arranges two mirrors with
a right-angle orientation as shown. John Ray then
directs a laser line at one of the mirrors. The light
reflects off both mirrors as shown. If angle A is 38°,
then what is the angle measure of angles B, C, and
D?
𝜃" = 38°
𝜃# = 52°
𝜃$ = 38°
Reflection and Refraction
→ Law of Refraction
For monochromatic light and for a given pair of
materials, 1 and 2, on opposite sides of the
interface, the ratio of the sines of the angles of
incidence and refraction where both angles are
measured from the normal to the surface, is
equal to the inverse ratio of the two indexes of
refraction.
$%& '% (&
= (Law of Refraction)
$%& '& (%
Let’s Practice
→ A light ray is passing through water (n=1.33) towards the boundary with a
transparent solid at an angle of 56.4°. The light refracts into the solid at
an angle of refraction of 42.1°. Determine the index of refraction of the
unknown solid.
𝑛( sin 𝜃( (1.33)(sin 56.4°)
𝑛' = =
sin 𝜃' sin 42.1°
𝑛' = 1.65
Let’s Practice
→ A ray of light traveling through a thin layer of oil (n = 1.50) resting on top
of water (n =1.33). The light ray approaches the oil-water boundary at
an angle of incidence of 48.2°. Determine the angle of refraction at the
oil-water boundary.
)(
𝑛( sin 𝜃(
𝜃' = sin
𝑛'
)(
(1.50)(sin 48.2°)
𝜃' = sin
1.33
𝑛' = 57.2°
Reflection and Refraction
→ Law of Refraction
→ Speed of light changes on
different medium
→ As a result, wavelength also
changes
→ As the wave speed and
wavelength changes, the
frequency stays constant
Refractive Index different materials
𝑐 (𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑎𝑐𝑢𝑢𝑚)
𝑛=
𝑣 (𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙)
NOTE: 𝑐 = 3.00 ×10# 𝑚/𝑠
Less dense material → low refraction index
→ higher speed of light
Note that the frequency of the
wave does not change when 𝜆*
passing from one material to 𝑛=
𝜆
another. Thus,
Let’s Practice
Calculate the speed of a light ray, initially travelling in a vacuum with a
speed of 3.00 x108 m/s, and passes through the following medium:
→ Ice (n=1.31)
→ Olive oil (n=1.48)
→ Zircon (n=1.92)
𝑣+,- = 2.29 × 10. 𝑚/𝑠
𝑣/0+1- /+0 = 2.03 × 10. 𝑚/𝑠
𝑣2+!,/3 = 1.56 × 10. 𝑚/𝑠
Let’s Practice
→ The wavelength of the red light from a helium-neon laser is 633 nm in air but
474 nm in the aqueous humor inside your eyeball. Calculate the index of
refraction of the aqueous humor and the speed and frequency of the light in
this substance.
𝜆! 633 𝑛𝑚 𝑣 2.25 × 10" 𝑚/𝑠 %& 𝐻𝑧
𝑛= = = 1.34 𝑓= = = 4.74 × 10
𝜆 474 𝑛𝑚 𝜆 474 × 10#$ 𝑚
𝑐 3.00 × 10" 𝑚/𝑠 𝑐 3.00 × 10" 𝑚/𝑠 %& 𝐻𝑧
𝑣= = = 2.25 × 10" 𝑚/𝑠 𝑓= = = 4.74 × 10
𝑛 1.34 𝜆! 633 × 10#$ 𝑚
*Frequency does not change as light refracts
to a different material
Let’s Practice
→ A beam of light has a wavelength of 650 nm in vacuum. (a) What is the
speed of this light in a liquid whose index of refraction at this wavelength is
1.47? (b) What is the wavelength of these waves in the liquid? (c) What is the
frequency of these waves?
𝑐 3.00 × 10" 𝑚/𝑠 𝑣 2.04 × 10" 𝑚/𝑠
𝑣= = = 2.04 × 10" 𝑚/𝑠 𝑓= = = 4.62 × 10%& 𝐻𝑧
𝑛 1.47 𝜆 442 × 10#$ 𝑚
𝜆! 650 𝑛𝑚 𝑐 3.00 × 10" 𝑚/𝑠
𝜆= = = 442 𝑛𝑚 𝑓= = = 4.62 × 10%& 𝐻𝑧
𝑛 1.47 𝜆! 650 × 10#$ 𝑚
*Frequency does not change as light refracts
to a different material
Additional Sample
Problems
Session 7:
Reflection and Refraction
A ray of light is approaching two mirrors that make a 70° - angle with each other as
shown below. The light ray hits the first mirror at a certain angle. The light ray
reflected two times as it bounces off the mirror. Determine the angle a and b.
→ For angle a
𝜃"$ = 90° − 45° = 45°
𝜃"$ = 𝜃!$ = 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑎 = 45°
→ For angle b
180° − 70° − 45° = 65°
𝜃!% = 90° − 65° = 25°
𝜃!% = 𝜃"% = 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑏 = 25°
A light ray traveling in a vacuum enters another medium and changes its
speed to 1.24 x108 m/s.
(a) Calculate the index of refraction (n) of the second medium.
𝑐 3 ×10# 𝑚/𝑠
𝑛= = # = 2.42
𝑣 1.24 ×10 𝑚/𝑠
(b) If the light ray is incident at 35.0˚, to what angle must the rays refract?
sin 𝜃$ 𝑛% &$
𝑛$ sin 𝜃$ &$
1(sin 35.0°)
= → 𝜃% = sin = sin = 13.7°
sin 𝜃% 𝑛$ 𝑛% 2.4193548
Light with a frequency of 5.80 x1014 Hz travels in a block of glass that has
an index of refraction of 1.52. What is the wavelength of the light in a
vacuum and in the glass?
→ For wavelength in a vacuum
𝑐
𝑐 = 𝜆𝑓 → 𝜆! =
𝑓
3 ×10" 𝑚/𝑠 %& 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 517 𝑛𝑚
𝜆! = = 5.17 ×10
5.80 ×10#$ 𝐻𝑧
→ For wavelength in the glass
𝜆! 𝜆!
𝑛= → 𝜆=
𝜆 𝑛
0.00000051724 𝑚
𝜆= = 3.40 ×10%& 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 340 𝑛𝑚
1.52
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