Chapter 13
Light
Light:
• Light is a form of energy that causes the sensation of vision.
Without light energy we could not see anything.
The properties of light are:
Light is a form of energy.
Light always travels along a straight line.
Light does not need any medium for its propagation.
Light can even travel through a vacuum.
Light in different colours has different wavelengths and frequencies.
How light helps us to see.
• Rays of light reflect, or bounce off, objects just like a ball bounces on the ground.
This reflection of light is what enables us to see everything around us.
Take a look out your window: you see everything in the natural world (that doesn't
produce its own light) because it reflects the light of the Sun.
Reflection of light
• Although most of the things around us are not sources of light, we can still see
them.
• This is because these things reflect light into our eyes..
• When light bounces off something, we say that light is reflected.
Terms related to reflection of light.
• Incident Ray
The ray of light that straightaway falls on the reflecting surface from the object or a source is
known as an incident ray.
• Reflected Ray
The ray of light which is supposed to be reflected back after striking the reflecting surface is
known as the reflected ray.
• Angle of Incidence
The angle that is formed between the incident ray and the normal at the point of incidence is
known as the angle of incidence, and it is generally represented by ∠i.
• Angle of Reflection
The angle that is formed between the reflected ray and the normal at the point of reflection is
known as the angle of reflection, and it is generally represented by ∠r.
• Normal
A straight line perpendicular to the reflecting surface that acts as a separation between the
plane of incidence and the plane of reflection is known as the normal.
Refraction of Light.
• Refraction of light is the phenomenon of change in the path of light in going
from one medium to another.
Example.
• A pencil immersed in a glass of water appears bent
at the interface of water and air.
• Rainbow formation in the sky.
Terms related to refraction.
• Incident ray: The ray which falls on the surface of separation(or interface) to enter
into the new medium.
• Refracted ray: The ray in the second medium, obtained after refraction.
• Normal: Imaginary straight line perpendicular to the refracting surface at the point
of refraction.
• Angle of incident: The angle formed at the point of incidence between the
incident ray and the normal is called the angle of incidence.
• Angle of refraction: The angle formed between the refracted ray and the normal is
called the angle of refraction
Laws of Refraction of Light
• The incident ray refracted ray, and the normal to the interface of two media at the
point of incidence all lie on the same plane.
• The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of
refraction is constant.
This is also known as Snell's law of refraction
Behavior of ray of Light from rare to
denser medium.
• In going from a rarer(air) to a denser medium(glass), the ray of light bends
towards normal.
• In this angle of refraction r is less than angle of incidence i (i>r)
Behavior of ray of Light from denser to rare
medium.
• In going from a denser to a rarer medium, the ray of light bends away from normal.
• In this angle of refraction r is greater than angle of incidence i (i<r)
When Light not refract.(Snell’s law fail
• When the light wave approaches the boundary in a direction that is perpendicular to
normal ray.
Emergent ray
• An emergent ray is a light ray that passes through a refracting surface and emerges
on the other side
Angle of deviation.
• The angle between the direction of incident ray and the emergent ray, is called the
angle of deviation.
Critical Angle.
• The angle of incidence for which the angle of refraction is 90 degrees is
called as the critical angle
Refractive index.
• Refractive Index measures the bending of a ray of light while it enters from one
medium(rare medium) into another medium(denser medium).
• In simpler words, The Refractive Index measures the change in speed of light when
it passes into a medium from the air. The Refractive Index is also known as the
Index of Refraction.
Mathematically;
n is the refractive index
c is the speed of light in a vacuum ( 3 × 108 m/s)
v is the speed of light in a medium
Important to know:
• Speed of light is 1.5 times slower In glass than in vacuum because air is less dense
than glass.
• if medium is denser refractive index will be greater than 1
• If medium is less dense refractive index will smaller than 1
• Refractive index is unitless.
If medium is denser refractive index will be
greater than 1
If medium is less dense refractive index will
smaller than 1
Total internal reflection.
Conditions for total internal reflection.
TIR only takes place when both of the following two conditions are met:
• The light is in the more dense medium and approaching the less dense medium.
• The angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle.
Optical fibers
• Optical fibre is a hair-like flexible and transparent fibre which is used for the
transmission of data signals using light pulse over large distances with a higher
speed. Hence optical fibre is used to provide the service of internet, telephone and
television etc.
• Optical fibre works on the principle of total internal reflection.
Each optical fiber stand has three components inside:
• Core;
• Cladding;
• Coating.
Function of components:
• Core and cladding are typically made of glass or plastic. The core is at the center
of the optical fiber and provides a pathway for light to travel.
• Cladding holds the light inside the core and controls the direction in which light is
spread through the fiber. When light enters the fiber at the appropriate approach
angle, also known as the critical angle, it will reflect and stay inside the core, thus
achieving a process called “total internal reflection”.
• Coating is simply a protective layer that is protecting core and cladding from the
fracture. The coating also has a higher index of refraction than the core and the
cladding which allows for unwanted light to refract from the cladding.
Uses of Optical fiber.
• Optical fibres are also used in medicine.
• An endoscope is a device that can be used by doctors to see inside a patient’s
body, for example, to see inside the stomach.
• It is also commonly used in telecommunication services, such as internet,
television and telephones.
Refraction of light through prism.
Prism:
• A prism is a homogeneous, solid, transparent, refracting medium bounded by two
plane surfaces inclined at an angle. The commonly used prism has two triangular
faces that are parallel to each other and three rectangular surfaces. They are made
from glass or other transparent material cut with precise angles.
Deviation of light through prism.
• When light passes from air to the glass of the prism, the change in speed causes
the light to change direction and bend. Due to the differences in the refraction
index between the air and the glass, light bends once entering the prism. Since the
sides are angled, the light bends, even more, when it exits the prism.
Dispersion of Light.
• When white light is passed through a glass prism it splits into its spectrum of
colours (in order violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red) and this process
of white light splitting into its constituent colours is termed as dispersion.
Parts of Sphere.
Types of lens
Converging/convex lens Diverging/concave lens
• A converging lens is a lens that • A diverging lens is a lens that diverges
converges rays of light that are rays of light that are traveling parallel
traveling parallel to its principal axis. to its principal axis. Diverging lenses
Converging lenses can be identified by can also be identified by their shape;
their shape; they are relatively thick they are relatively thin across their
across their middle and thin at their middle and thick at their upper and
upper and lower edges. lower edge
Principal focus
• The distance from the centre of the lens to the principal focus is called
the focal length of the lens.
• The fatter the lens, the closer the principal focus is to the lens. A fat
lens has a shorter focal length than a thin lens.
Lens Terminology.
Focal length.
The distance from
The
the distance
centre from
of the
the centre lensof the to lensthe to the principal
focus is called the focal length
principal focus is called the focal length
Image formed by converging lense(convex
lense)
Defects in Vision
Using lenses to correct eyesight problems
Deviation of light through prism.
• When light passes from air to the glass of the prism, the change in
speed causes the light to change direction and bend. Due to the
differences in the refraction index between the air and the glass, light
bends once entering the prism. Since the sides are angled, the light
bends, even more, when it exits the prism.
Dispersion of Light
• When white light is passed through
a glass prism it splits into its
spectrum of colours (in order
violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow,
orange and red) and this process of
white light splitting into its
constituent colours is termed as
dispersion.
