5.

2 REFRACTION

REFRACTION
INDEX

CONCAVE
LENS

LENSES

CONVEX
LENS

Watch this video:

How does the phenomenon could happen?

Vedio
2

The Answer:

Normal

Image
Object Physics
The ray from object passes through a glass into air
is bend away from the NORMAL
because the glass is denser than the air
The ray has been REFRACTED

REFRACTION OF LIGHT
Normal
1. How the light
moves from the air
through the glass?

Incident
ray

Light rays bend

towards the normal

2. How the light

moves from the glass
through the air?
Light rays bend away
from the normal
3. Why?

AIR
GLASS

r
Refracted
ray

4. What are the

variables that are
change when the light
passes through a
different medium?
i.

The directions

GLASS

ii. (Velocity)

AIR

iii. (Wave length)

Glass is denser than

air
5

1. Light rays bend towards the normal

when rays travel from a less dense
medium to a denser medium
2. Light rays bend away from the normal
when rays travel from a denser medium
to a less dense medium
3. Light rays travel much slower in a denser
medium.
6

a)
b)
c)
d)

What is your inference?

State one appropriate hypothesis that could be investegated.
Plan one experiment to investigate the relationship between two
variables that refer to your hypothesis.
Write a complete report.

In your report describe clearly these items,

The aim of the experiment:

The variables: (Manipulated, responding and fixed)

List a complete apparatus and draw the arrangement

Write the procedure of an experiment includes the step on how to get

more accurate data

Tabulate the data

Draw a Graph of sin i vs sin r and calculate the GRADIENT

Write the Conclusion from a graph and state the relationship between
GRADIENT and Refractive Index of medium
7

Refer this steps to write

the procedure of
experiment
i = 25o, 20o, 15o, 10o, 5o

Paper

Glass
Block
Pencil
Protractor
Ray box

io

ro

Sin io

Sin ro
5o
10o

15o

10
15

Normal

20o

25o

20
25
Sin i

Sin r

Relationship;
The greater the refractive index, the
greater the dense medium, the
greater bending effect of light, the
less refraction angle,
the
less the velocity of light
and vice versa
10

n = sin i (vacuum)
sin r (medium)
Sin i

1.0

Refractive Index, n
=
Known as Snells Law

Glass
Diamond

Material

Refractiv
e Index, n

Diamond

2.42

Glass

1.5

Water

1.33

Water

0.5

The
Effect:
Bending
of light
Great
er

Small
er
0

0.5

1.0

Sin r
11

Examples:
Calculate the refractive index, n of the following;

48o

Air

Air

30o
50o

15o

Perspex

Glass

n = sin (vacuum@air)
sin (medium)
= sin 42/sin 15
= 2.58

n = sin (vacuum@air)
sin (medium)
= sin 60/sin 40
= 1.35

12

Refractive Index, n and Speed of Light

The speed of light in vacuum, c = 3.0 x 10 8 ms-1 > (constant)

Light travels much slower in transparent materials.
The refraction of light is due to this change of speed.
Refractive index, n = Speed of light in vacuum @ air
Speed of light in medium

Velocity of light in air is

higher

=c
v

Velocity of light in water is

lower

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