VISN1231

Optics
2013

LECTURE NOTES
Topics- 2

Refraction at plane surfaces I

Sections to read from the text: 2.0 to 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.1.7.1, 2.1.8,
2.1.9.

2.

Refraction at Plane Surfaces I

Refraction
When light falls on a surface separating two transparent media, a portion of it is
reflected, a portion is transmitted and a portion is absorbed by the medium. Reflected
light is the portion of the incident light reversed in its direction of propagation and
angle upon reaching the surface. Transmitted light is the light that is not reflected or
absorbed. Transparent materials transmit most of the incident light. Opaque
materials transmit little or none of the incident light.
When light travels from one transparent material such as air into another transparent
material such as glass which is denser, its velocity changes. This change in velocity
causes it to bend (or change direction) at the interface a phenomenon called
refraction. The change in velocity shows up as a change in the wavelength of the
light. The frequency of the light remains the same as it enters one medium from
another.
Refractive index
Light invariably slows down when it enters a denser medium. The ratio of the
velocity of light in air to the velocity of light in the medium is called the relative
refractive index of the medium with respect to air. The absolute refractive index of a
material is the ratio of the velocity of light in vacuum to the velocity of light in the
medium. The higher the index of refraction, slower the speed of light in that medium.
When we compare refractive indices of two different media, the medium having
higher refractive index is said to be optically denser and the medium having lower
refractive index is said to be optically rarer.
Snells Laws
Snells first law says that the incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal drawn to
the surface at the point of incidence all lie in the same plane. The angle of incidence
and the angle of refraction are measured with respect to the surface normal at the
point of incidence (see Fig. 2.1).
Incident
ray

normal
i i

Reflected
ray
air
glass
angle of
deviation

Refracted
ray
Fig. 2.1 Refraction at a plane surface separating two transparent media.

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Snells second law quantifies refraction. It states that when light enters one
transparent medium such as glass from another transparent medium such as air it
obeys the following mathematical relationship,
sin(i) /sin(i) = ang

Eqn. (2.1)

where ang is the refractive index of glass (the second medium) with respect to air (the
first medium).
ang

= va / vg = velocity of light in air / velocity of light in glass.

Eqn.(2.2)

The principle of reversibility of light

This principle says that when you reverse the direction of propagation of light through
an optical system the ray retraces its path. This principle is sometimes very useful in
understanding the working principles of visual optical systems.
Using the principle of reversibility of light we can show that
ang

= 1/ gna

Eqn.(2.3)

In its most useful form Snells law can be written as

n sin( i ) = n sin( i )

Eqn.(2.4)

where i is the angle of incidence in the first medium, i is the angle of refraction in
the second medium and n and n are the absolute refractive indices of media 1 and 2
(or) the relative refractive indices of media 1 and 2 w.r.t. air. The relative refractive
index of a material w.r.t. air is normally referred to as the refractive index of the
material. However, this is very nearly the same as the absolute refractive index of the
material.
It can be deduced from Snells law that light travelling from a rarer medium into a
denser medium is bent towards the normal to the surface drawn at the point of
incidence. Light travelling from a denser medium to a rarer medium is refracted away
from the normal to the surface drawn at the point of incidence.
Practice Problem 2.1: A ray of light emerges from a pond of water at an angle of 45
to the normal. What angle did the incident ray make with the normal? Assume that the
refractive index of water is 1.333.
Answer: 32.13 .

Index of refraction of some commonly used materials in ophthalmic optics :

PMMA : 1.49,
Ophthalmic Plastic : 1.498,
Crown glass : 1.523,
Polycarbonate : 1.586

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Refraction by a rectangular glass block

i1

i1
i2

Lateral
displacement

i2

Fig. 2.2 Transmission of light through a parallel sided glass block

It is easy to show in refraction by plane parallel surfaces that when the first and the
last media are the same as in the case of a rectangular glass block in air, for example
(see Fig. 2.2), the emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray i.e. i1 = i2. However the
emergent ray is displaced laterally(sideways).

Real and Apparent depth

Consider two rays reaching the water surface from a point B at the bottom of a pond
as shown in Fig.2.3. These rays after refraction at the air water interface appear to
come from a point B which is closer to the surface than B. In looking into the pond
we believe that B is located at B and not at B. B is where the rays actually come
from. B is where they appear to come from. B is therefore the virtual location of B.
eye

i
na
M
d

P
i
i

B
i

B
Fig. 2.3 Real and apparent depth of a pond

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nw

Near normal view

Using triangles MBP and MB P and the Snells law we can show from Fig. 2.3 that
for near normal viewing
real depth / apparent depth = d / d = nw

Eqn. (2.5)

where d , the apparent thickness of the refracting medium is also called the reduced
thickness of the refracting medium.

Critical Angle and the phenomenon of total internal reflection

When light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium, such as from glass to air,
the angle of refraction increases with increase in the angle of incidence.
When the incidence angle i reaches a critical value ic the refracted ray emerges at a
grazing angle (angle of refraction = 90). For i greater than ic the ray is no longer
refracted and does not emerge from the medium. Instead, it is reflected back into the
same medium obeying the law of reflection. This phenomenon is called total internal
reflection. Under this condition the reflection is complete and the surface behaves like
a full mirror. It is potentially the best form of a mirror.
At the critical angle Snells law gives us,
n = 1/sin(c)

Eqn (2.6)

Practice Problem 2.2: Find the critical angle for a ray entering air from water given
that the index of water is 1.333. Ans. 48 36

References : Optics By A H Tunnacliffe and J G Hirst, ABDO, Reprinted (2003)

Optics, M H Freeman, Butterworth Heinemann (10th or 11th Edition)
Geometrical and Visual Optics By Steven Schwartz, Mc Graw Hill, (2002)

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