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Lesson 13 Refractive Index

This document discusses refraction and how it occurs when light travels from one medium to another with a different refractive index. It defines refractive index as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in a material medium. Light slows down more when passing from air into an optically denser material like glass or water, causing it to change direction at the boundary between the two media. The document includes an equation for calculating refractive index based on the angle of incidence and angle of refraction, as well as a table of refractive index values for some common materials to use in sample problems.

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Gemma Wrigley
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122 views3 pages

Lesson 13 Refractive Index

This document discusses refraction and how it occurs when light travels from one medium to another with a different refractive index. It defines refractive index as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in a material medium. Light slows down more when passing from air into an optically denser material like glass or water, causing it to change direction at the boundary between the two media. The document includes an equation for calculating refractive index based on the angle of incidence and angle of refraction, as well as a table of refractive index values for some common materials to use in sample problems.

Uploaded by

Gemma Wrigley
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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C2 Waves in communication

BTEC SCIENCE Refractive index


The laws of refraction

Light (or electromagnetic radiation of other frequencies) travels best


through a vacuum. Its rapidly oscillating electric field generates an
oscillating magnetic field, and the changing magnetic field in turn
generates another nearby oscillating electric field and so the wave
progresses rapidly through space.
When the waves have to travel through matter, their progress is impeded
by the electronic charges in the atoms and molecules. Metals, which are
full of freely moving electrons, just stop the wave oscillation completely.
So the light wave energy is reflected back, just as a sound wave is
reflected back at the fixed end of a vibrating string. Metals therefore look
shiny and make good mirrors. Many other materials absorb some or all of
the light and so look coloured or even black.
In transparent materials, like water, glass and many plastics, the waves
are not stopped or absorbed, but they are slowed down. The ratio of the
speed of light in vacuum, c, to its speed in the material medium, v, is
called the refractive index, n, of the medium.
That is:

n=

c (speed in a vacuum)
v ( speed in the medium)
The waves
travel in
this The
direction
waves
throughtravel
the air more
slowly in
this
medium

This part of the


wave slows
down first
The waves now
travel more
The angle of incidence, i, and slowly
the in this
direction
angle of refraction, r, can be used
to

calculate the refractive index using the


equation

Refractive index questions


1. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences.
Refraction is the bending of _________ (light/electricity) which occurs when
it enters a different __________ (small/medium). Light travels at different
______ (speeds/times) in different media; e.g. it is ________ (faster/slower)
in glass and water than it is in a vacuum. Media in which light travels
slower are said to be optically ________ (shallow/dense). It is the changing
of speed that causes light to refract.
When light enters a more optically dense material it refracts _____________
(towards/away
normal. When
more optically
it refracts

Material
Glass
Perspex
Diamond
Water

Refractive Index
1.5
1.5
2.4
1.3

from) the
light exits a
dense material
_____________

(towards/away from) the normal.

Refractive index = sin i / sin r


2. Using the table of values below, calculate the refractive index of the
medium. Suggest which material the medium is made of.
Angle of Incidence
24.0
24.0
24.0
63.0
47.0

Angle of
Refraction
15.7
9.76
18.2
36.4
29.2

Refractive Index

Material

3. Using the above equation calculate what the angle of incidence


must have been to give the following angles of refraction in glass.
a. 23
b. 33
c. 40

4. A beam of light shines on a diamond block with an angle of incidence of


15. Calculate the angle of refraction.

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