Refraction: Introduction

The change of direction of light because of change of medium is known as Refraction or

Refraction of Light. The ray of light changes its direction or phenomenon of refraction takes
place because of difference in speed in different media.

The light travels at faster speed in rare medium and at slower speed in denser medium. The
nature of media is taken as relative. For example air is a rarer medium than water or glass.

When ray of light enters from a rarer medium into a denser medium, it bends towards normal
at the point of incidence. On the contrary, when ray of light enters into a rarer medium from a
denser medium it bends away from the normal.

Ray emerging after the denser medium goes in the same direction and parallel to the incident
ray.

The angle between incident ray and normal is called Angle of Incidence and it is denoted as ‘i’.
The angle between refracted ray and normal is called the Angle of Refraction. Angle of
refraction is denoted by ‘r’.

refraction through glass slab

The angle between incident ray and normal is called Angle of Incidence and it is
denoted as ‘i’. The angle between refracted ray and normal is called the Angle of
Refraction. Angle of refraction is denoted by ‘r’.
 Laws of Refraction:
a. The incident ray, refracted ray and normal to the interface of given two transparent
media, all lie in same plane.
b. The ratio of sine of angle of incidence and sine of angle of refraction is always
constant for the light of given colour and for the pair of given media.

The Second Law of Refraction is also known as Snell’s Law of Refraction.

The constant is called refractive index of the second medium in relation to the first
medium.

Refractive Index:
A ray of light changes its direction when it enters from one medium to another medium.
This happens because speed of light is different in different media. For example; the
speed of light is 3 x 108 m/s (2.99x108 m/s) in vacuum and it is 2.98 x 108 m/s in air.

Refractive Index is the extent of change of direction of light in a given pair of media. The
refractive index is a relative value of speed of light in the given pair of media. Thus,

to calculate the refractive Index the speed of light in two media is taken.

Let the speed of light in medium 1 is v1 and in medium 2 is v2

Therefore; refractive index of medium 2 with respect to medium 1 (n21)

Above expression gives the refractive index of medium 2 with respect to medium 1. This
is generally denoted by n21.

Similarly, the refractive index of medium 1 with respect to medium 2 is denoted by n 12.

Absolute Refractive Index: When one medium is taken as vacuum and speed of light
is taken in it, then the refractive index of second medium with respect to vacuum is
called Absolute Refractive Index and it is generally denoted by n 2.

The speed of light in vacuum is slightly faster than in air. Let speed of light in air is ‘c’
and the speed of light in given medium is ‘v’. Therefore, refractive index of the given
medium:

Since, Refractive Index is the relative value of the speed of light of a medium with
respect to the speed of light in vacuum, thus light will travel faster in the medium having
lower value of refractive index.

Optical Density: Medium having greater value of refractive index is called optically
denser medium, this means light will travel at slower speed in optically denser medium
compared to in an optically rarer medium.

Absolute Refractive Index:When one medium is taken as vacuum and speed of light
is taken in it, then the refractive index of second medium with respect to vacuum is
called Absolute Refractive Index and it is generally denoted by n 2.
The speed of light in vacuum is slightly faster than in air. Let speed of light in air is ‘c’
and the speed of light in given medium is ‘v’. Therefore, refractive index of the given
medium:

Since, Refractive Index is the relative value of the speed of light of a medium with
respect to the speed of light in vacuum, thus light will travel faster in the medium having
lower value of refractive index.

Optical Density: Medium having greater value of refractive index is called optically
denser medium, this means light will travel at slower speed in optically denser medium
compared to in an optically rarer medium.

Spherical Lens
Lens is an optical device which converges or diverges the rays of light before
transmitting. A lens has similar shape to lentils and genus of lentil is called Lens, thus a
lens got its name after the shape and name of genus of lentils. A lens is made by
combining at least one part of sphere made of transparent material, generally glass.

Spherical Lens: Most of the lenses are made by the combination of parts of
transparent sphere. Concave and Convex lens are most commonly use spherical lens.

Convex lens:
A lens having two spherical surface bulging outwards is called Convex Lens. It is also
known as biconvex lens because of two spherical surface bulging outwards.

Fig: Spherical Lens

Concave lens:
A lens having two spherical surface bulging inwards is called Concave Lens. It is also
known as biconcave lens because of two spherical surface bulging inwards.
Important terms for spherical lens:

Fig: Convex Lens

Centre of curvature: The centre of sphere of part of which a lens is formed is called
the centre of curvature of the lens. Since concave and convex lenses are formed by the
combination of two parts of spheres, therefore they have two centres of curvature.

One centre of curvature is usually denoted by C1 and second is denoted by C2.

Focus: Point at which parallel rays of light converge in a concave lens and parallel rays
of light diverge from the point is called Focus or Principal Focus of the lens.

Fig: Converging Lens Fig:

Diverging Lens

Similar to centres of curvature; convex and concave lenses have two Foci. These are
represented as F1 and F2.

Principal Axis: Imaginary line that passes through the centres of curvature of a lens is
called Principal Axis.

Optical centre: The central point of a lens is called its Optical Centre. A ray passes
through optical centre of a lens without any deviation.

Radius of curvature: The distance between optical centre and centre of curvature is
called the radius of curvature, which is generally denoted by R.

Focal Length: The distance between optical centre and principal focus is called focal
length of a lens. Focal length of a lens is half of the radius of curvature.
This is the cause that the centre of curvature is generally denoted by 2F for a lens
instead of C.

Refraction through Lens

Refraction of parallel ray:

A parallel ray converges at focus of a convex lens and diverges from the focus of a
concave lens.

Fig: Ray parallel to principal axis

Fig: Ray parallel to principal axis

Refraction of ray passing through the Principal focus:

A ray passing through principal focus emerges parallel to the principal axis after
refraction from a convex lens.

Fig: Ray passing through focus

Fig: Ray passing through focus

A ray passing through the principal focus emerges parallel to the principal axis after
diverging from a concave lens.

Ray passing through the optical centre of lens:

 Ray passing through the optical centre of convex and concave lens emerges in same
direction without any deviation.

Fig: Ray passing through O

Fig: Ray passing through O

Converging lens: A convex lens is known as converging lens because parallel rays
converge at its focus.

Fig: Converging Lens

Diverging lens: A concave lens is known as diverging lens because parallel rays
appear to diverge from the focus; after refraction.

Fig: Diverging Lens

Image Formation by Convex Lens

There are six possibilities of position of object in the case of convex lens:

a. Object at infinity
b. Object beyond centre of curvature, C
c. Object at centre of curvature, C
d. Object between centre of curvature, C and principal focus, F
e. Object at principal focus, F
f. Object between principal focus, F and optical centre, O

Object at infinity:
Convex lens converge parallel rays coming from objet at infinity and a highly diminished
- point sized, real and inverted image is formed at principal focus F2.

Fig: Object at Infinity

Properties of Image: Image is highly diminished, real and inverted.

Object beyond centre of curvature, C1 or 2F1:

A diminished, real and inverted image is formed between principal focus, F2 and centre
of curvature, C2 at the opposite side when an object is placed beyond C1 of a convex
lens.

Fig: Object Beyond 2F

Properties of Image: Image is diminished, real and inverted.

Object at centre of curvature, C1 or 2F1:

A same sized, real and inverted image is formed at centre of curvature, C2 when object
is placed at centre of curvature, C1 of a convex lens.

Fig: Object at 2F

Properties of Image: Image is same size as object, real and inverted.

Object between centre of curvature, C1 and principal focus, F1:

An enlarged, real and inverted image is formed beyond centre of curvature, C2 when an
object is placed between centre of curvature, C1 and principal focus, F1 of a convex
lens.
 Fig: Object between 2F and F

Properties of Image: Image is enlarged, real and inverted.

Object at principal focus, F1:

An infinitely large, real and inverted image is formed at infinity when object is placed at
principal focus, F1 of a convex lens.

Fig: Object at F

Properties of Image: Image is highly enlarged, real and inverted.

Between principal focus, F1 and optical centre, O:

A virtual, erect and enlarged image is formed at the same side of lens, when an object
is placed between principal focus, F1 and optical centre, O of a convex lens.

Fig: Object between F and O

Properties of Image: Image is enlarged, virtual and erect.

Image Formation by Concave Lens

There are only two possibilities of position of object in the case of a concave lens:

a. Object is at infinity
b. Object is between optical centre, O and infinity

Object is at infinity:
A highly diminished point sized, virtual and erect image is formed when object is at
infinity by a concave lens at principal focus F1.
 Fig: Object at Infinity

Properties of Image: Image is point sized, highly diminished, virtual and erect.

Object is between optical centre, O and infinity:

A diminished, virtual and erect image is formed between principal focus F1 and optical
centre, O; when object is placed between optical centre and infinity of a concave lens.

Fig: Object between Infinity and O

Properties of Image: Image is diminished, virtual and erect.

Sign convention for lens:

Sign convention for lens is similar to that of spherical mirror. Signs are taken left of the
optical centre as negative, right of the optical centre as positive, above of the principal
axis as positive and below of the principal axis as negative.

Fig: Sign Convention

The new sign convention is known as New Cartesian Sign Convention. In this sign is
taken negative towards left and taken as positive towards right at X-axis from origin.

The sign is taken as positive (+) above the origin point at Y-axis; and below the origin
point as negative (-) at Y-axis.
Lens Formula and Magnification:
The relation between distance of object, distance of image and focal length for a lens is
called lens formula.

Where, v is the distance of image, u is the distance of object, and f is the focal length of
lens. Distance of object and image is measure from the optical centre of the lens. The
sign for distance is given as per convention.

The lens formula is valid for all situations for spherical lens. By knowing any of the two
the third can be calculated.

Magnification:
The ratio of height of image and that of object or ratio of distance of image and distance
of object gives magnification. It is generally denoted by ‘m’.

The positive (+) sign of magnification shows that image is erect and virtual while a
negative (-) sign of magnification shows that image is real and inverted.

Power of lens:
A convex lens with short focal length converges the light rays with greater degree
nearer to principal focus and a concave lens with short focal length diverges the light
rays with greater degree nearer to principal focus.

The degree of divergence or convergence of ray of light by a lens is expressed in terms

of the power of lens. Degree of convergence and divergence depends upon the focal
length of a lens. The power of a lens is denoted by ‘P’. The power of a lens is reciprocal
of the focal length.
 The SI unit of Power of lens is dioptre and it is denoted by ‘D’.

Power of a lens is expressed in dioptre when the focal length is expressed in metre.
Thus, a lens having 1 metre of focal length has power equal to 1 dipotre.

Therefore, 1 D = 1 m−1

A convex lens has power in positive and a concave lens has power in negative.

Power of optical instruments having multiple lenses:

If there is more than one lens used, then total power of lenses is equal to the sum of
power of all individual lenses.

Example: If there are three lenses used in an optical device having powers equal to 1
D, 2D and 3D respectively,

Therefore, the total power of the optical device = 1D + 2D + 3D = 6D

Some common phenomena of Refraction:

A. Bending of pencil when placed in a glass with water: When a pencil or stick is kept in a beaker
or a glass filled with water, the stick appears slightly bent. This happens because the light;
entering from air (rarer medium) into water (denser medium); bends towards normal to the
incident which makes the appearance of pencil or stick as bent.
B. Position of fish in the water of pond: The ray coming from fish in the pond bends away from
the normal to the incident. We see the emergent ray which makes the appearance of fish
slightly above its position.
C. Formation of rainbow: Rainbow is formed just after the rain. When ray of light travels from
droplets of rain, it is scattered into its constituent seven colours and forms a rainbow in the
sky.
D. Visibility of sun slightly before the time of sunrise: When the rays coming from the sun enter
into atmosphere (which is denser medium than vacuum), they bend away from normal to the
incidence because of refraction. Since we see the refracted rays coming from the sun, that’s
why the sun becomes visible slightly ahead of the time of sunrise.
A convex mirror used for rear view on an automobile has a radius of curvature of 3.0 m. if a bus
is located at 5 m from the mirror find the position and size of the image.

R = 3.0

U == -5

V == ?

H’ = ?

1/v – 1/u = 1/f

F == R/2