LIGHT

LIGHT
Light exhibits the characteristics and
properties of a wave. It is classified as an
electromagnetic wave located between the
spectrum of infrared and ultraviolet. As an
electromagnetic wave, it can travel through a
medium and in an empty space or vacuum.
Light travel fastest in vacuum but its speed
decreases as it moves in other medium.
REFRACTION OF LIGHT
Refraction is the bending of
light when it travels from one
medium to another medium of
different optical density. The
cause of refraction is the change
in the speed of light in going
from one medium to another.
Examples of refraction of
light
Apparent
bending of a
stick or
pencil partly
immersed in
water.
Refraction of light
Normal line is the line drawn
perpendicular to the boundary of the two
media at the point of incidence.
Angle of incidence is the angle between
the incident ray and the normal.
Angle of refraction is the angle between
the refracted ray and the normal.
Refraction of light
 The bending of light when it travels from
air to water is due to the different speed of
light in the two media. Light travel faster in
air than in water because water is optically
denser than air. Coming from air , light
slows down when it passes the air – water
boundary and changes its direction of
travel.
 The speed of light in a medium is greatly
affected by the optical density of the
medium. When light passes from a less
dense to a denser medium, it slows down.
The ray bends towards the normal and the
angle of refraction is less than the angle of
incidence. This is the case when light
passes from air to water or from air to
glass.
 When light passes from glass to air, it
speeds up. The refracted ray bends away
from the normal. The angle of incidence is
less than the angle of refraction.
Refraction of light
 Of the three boundaries in the diagram,
the light ray refracts the most at the air-
diamond boundary. This is evident by the
fact that the difference between the angle
of incidence and the angle of refraction is
greatest for the air-diamond boundary. The
cause of refraction is a change in light
speed; and where the speed of light
changes most, the refraction is greatest.
Index of refraction
A known indicator of the optical density
of a material is the index of refraction of
the material. Index of refraction (n) is the
ratio of the speed of light in the vacuum
and its speed in another medium.
In equation:
n= c
v
 The index of refraction of a material is a
quantity that compares the speed of light
in that material to its speed in a vacuum.
Since the speed of light in a vacuum is
always greater than in any other material,
the values of n is always greater than one.
The larger the index of refraction, the
slower the speed of light in that material.