Refraction Definition and 726 Threads

There is something I have been wondering about with refraction. There have been many explanations of why the light bends. However, it still does not feel intuitive. The question I have is with how light enters the clear object. Is it proven that light indeed enters at an angle that is instantly...

Hello everyone, I am trying to figure out how to explain an aspect of this question to my students, but cannot seem to recall the geometry that explains the textbook's approach. In the figure below, for part (b) of the question, we are using the angles of refraction at the left boundary to...

Homework Statement [/B] I know that the depth is 30 cm , the apprared depth to the observer is 15 cm. But how am i going to use snells law to get the refracted and incident angle when i have no idea what the index of refraction is for n2 liquid? ?Homework Equations N1sin1=n2sin2 The Attempt at...

Okay so I've got a question. If we allow a monochromatic light, say the color green to pass from air to water, what color would the refracted light be? This thought came to me because I was reading that light, when passed through an optically denser medium, would travel slower. Since the...

If the the angle of incidence of an incident ray is less than (or equal to) the Critical Angle, the ray is refracted, but do we still get some reflection from this same incident ray?

Homework Statement We look at the center of one face of a solid cube of glass on a line of sight making 55° with the normal to the cube face. What is the minimum refractive index of glass for which you will see through the opposite face of the cube? (Hint: see through will be possible if the...

Wikipedia states that: "If the measurement is close enough to the surface, light rays can curve downward at a rate equal to the mean curvature of the Earth's surface. In this case, the two effects of assumed curvature and refraction could cancel each other out and the Earth will appear flat in...

Homework Statement Suppose the isosceles prism of the figure(http://imgur.com/EQiQSoO) has apex angle φ = 53.4° and index of refraction n = 1.41. (a) What is the smallest angle of incidence θ for which a ray can enter the left face of the prism and exit the right face? (b) What angle of...

I was browsing about my optics books,completing numericals and stuff When I found a a statement called different lens formulas It had 2 formulas One,called the thin lens formula or rather the geometric sign convention formula was called 1/v-1/u=1/f(Symbols have their usual meanings) and another...

Hello! This post is strictly related to my previous one. Let's consider the same context and the same image. Regarding the oblique incidence of a wave upon an interface between two dielectric, all the texts and all the lectures write an equation like the following: e^{-j k_1 y \sin \theta_i} +...

Hi，I was wondering if someone could tell me the name of this equation, where does the equation come from? “If light is isotropically generated in a medium then the fraction transmitted to the outside world is given by: F = (1/4)(n2/n1)2[1-{(n1-n2)/(n1+n2)}2]” Thank you so much :)

Consider the problem shown in the "wave_incidence_1.png" attached image. An electro-magnetic wave is traveling towards an interface between its current medium and a new medium, which has a refractive index n_2 \neq n_1. The interface is represented by the (x,y) plane. The electric field...

Homework Statement A beam of light is reflected from the surface of some unknown liquid, and the light is examined with a linear sheet polarizer. It is found that when the central axis of the polariser (that is, the perpendicular to the plane of the sheet) is tilted down from the vertical at an...

How reflection and refraction of light expressed at the particles level ? Thanks in advance

I got cornered in a discussion on the internet... I am not sure if I am right or not (I thought I was when I started). If you guys here tell me I am wrong, I have no problem admitting if I am indeed wrong first... person 2 said "Refraction =/= reflection. The atmosphere is colorless because...

Homework Statement Calculating the refraction of index (n) with given information. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I tried to use Snell's Law but I have no idea about how I'm supposed to use it without angles. Instead, question gives distances. Need help very badly.

Homework Statement A light ray enters the atmosphere of the Earth and descends vertically to the surface a distance h = 101.2-km below. The index of refraction where the light enters the atmosphere is n = 1.00 and it increases linearly with distance to a value of n= 1.000293 at the Earth's...

Q1. I do not understand why the light has to bend inorder to undergo refraction. My teachers have explained me that, light bends due to the change in velocity. If I change the velocity of a car by half it's original value, I don't find the cars path changing. It does not seem to make sense to...

That is a page from my textbook. The book mentions that the angle of incidence on the right side when added with the angle of the refraction equals 60 degrees. Why is that?

In transparent matirials it is known that when light going through it ,photones speed in the matirial would be smaller than in a vaccum. When the light refractioning, the photones transfer from one transparent media to another (for example- Vaccum to water). The photones during the process...

Hello All, I am having some issues with calculating the measurement uncertainty when there is a mismatch in the index of refraction between a fluid and an interface. If am using an unobtrusive measurement technique such as Laser Doppler Velocimetry, how would I be able to quantify the...

Hi All, Does a beam of "low energy/small wavelength" gets refracted when passing from one media to another. Thanks

Statement: I need a suitable method and factor to investigate ONE factor that affects the angle of refraction. It has to be related to the context of everyday life and glasses, i.e. how glasses are used to focus light and the light focused is that of a refracted ray. Therefore factors such as...

Homework Statement I need to calculate refraction angle of light, if light ray is falling to the surface of aquarium water from the bottom in the angle of 60 degrees, n for water = 1,33 Homework Equations sinφ2=(n1×sinφ1) /n2 The Attempt at a Solution So i get sinφ2=1,33*0,866( meant as...

As revision for my upcoming physics exam, I'm doing an old exam paper from a previous year of the course, for which the answers aren't published. However, I'm stuck on a basic angle of refraction question: "A light ray makes an angle of 35degrees to the surface of an oil layer. [A diagram is...

could the bend be described mathematically? Not the vector the curvature.

Why is the index of refraction of one color of light different than the index of refraction for that same medium? Also why is some light reflected and some refracted when it comes in contact with a new medium?

Homework Statement http://lon-capa.bd.psu.edu/res/psuerie/gwb6/physics/optics/e1p4.png A thin 200nm film of oil (n = 2.0) floats on water (n = 1.33). To a normal human, what wavelength will the film appear when viewed from above (nearly perpendicular to the film)? Homework Equations for...

It sounds silly to ask such question or stumble in such problem, indeed! But I was willing to make some small telescopes for young friends of mine, to encourage them to delve in the skies. So, I bought: 1. Double concave, spherical glass lens, with a focal length of approx. -75mm and diameter...

A flashlight on the bottom of a 4.10 m deep swimming pool sends a ray upward and at an angle so that the ray strikes the surface of the water 2.25 m from the point directly above the flashlight. What angle (in air) does the emerging ray make with the water's surface? I attempted to find the...

Hello All, Using Snell's Law, it is pretty obvious how to calculate the angle of refraction when both index of refractions are known. My question is how would I apply this to a 3 dimensional situation, such as light refraction in a sphere? Since there are two angles in relation to the normal...

Homework Statement An object is placed 21 cm in front of a concave mirror of radius of curvature of 10 cm. A glass slab of thickness 3 cm and RI =1.5; is then placed close to the mirror. Find the position of the final image. Take distance of closer side of block as 1 cm from the mirror...

I don't quite understand the concept of field of view of a telescope... Specifically, I am trying to understand the advantages of reflecting and refracting telescopes compared with the other, and my textbook says that "Refracting telescopes have a wider field of view than reflectors of the same...

Hello! I am learning about refracting telescopes and am slightly confused. I have read that a refracting telescope will magnify planets, but not change their brightness, but will not magnify stars as these will remain as point objects. It just makes the stars appear brighter. I am slightly...

I've recently been stumped after hearing about refraction and its effects on light. I have little knowledge of physics and after doing my own research I thought I could best get an answer here. Any help would be appreciated, or even corrections on what I thought I knew. Essentially, I know that...

Homework Statement Homework Equations Snell's Law n1sin(theta_1)=n2sin(theta_2) Total Internal Refraction: sin(theta_c)=(n_2/n_1) lambda_n=lambda_n The Attempt at a Solution So I drew the triangle and this is what I got, and well here is just a picture so far of what I have. [/B] I've...

How can I control the refractive index on a material, I mean on what depends the refractive index? Because I am trying to create like a controlable light diffuser mechanism. Thanks and regards.

Homework Statement The figure below shows the path of a beam of light through several layers (n1 = 1.58, n2 = 1.42, n3 = 1.20 and n4 = 1.00) of different indices of refraction. https://loncapa2.physics.sc.edu/res/brookscole/serway/College_Physics_7ed/Chap22/graphics/serw2244.gif a) If θ1 =...

I understand that when light goes between air and water, refraction occurs (either towards or away from the normal). If the light going between air and water is already going in the same direction as the normal, is there no refraction (or a refraction angle of 0 degrees)? Thank you.

Homework Statement Given a "new type" of optical fiber (index of refraction n = 1.23), a laser beam is incident on the flat end of a straight fiber in air. Assume nair = 1.00. What is the maximum angle of incidence Ø1 if the beam is not to escape from the fiber? (See attached file for...

Homework Statement Unpolarized light hits a flat glass surface, 37.5 degrees to the surface's normal. The reflected light's polarization is investigated with a polaroid. The relationship between the max and min value of intensity from the polaroid when it is rotated is 4.0. What is the index of...

This is pure conjecture but I was thinking about it and wanted to ask people who know more about tachyons than I do: In a vacuum: Particles with mass can only travel with v < c Mass-less particles can only travel with v = c Tachyons can only travel with v > c If you refract light by passing...

Hello All, I would like to start learning how to ray trace but the tracing through a tube with a thickness of t has got me stumped. If I have an n1 (outside tube), n2 (Tube), and n3 (inside tube). n1≠n2≠n3. Knowing Θ1 (the angle of incidence in relation to the normal), I can calculate Θ2 from...

Homework Statement A ray of light passes through a prism, making the minimum angle of deviation. The rays enter and emerge at 37degree from the normal to the surface. What is the index of refraction of the material, if the prism angle is 50degree?[/B]Homework Equations...

Homework Statement I am preparing for a test. I really need help with this is problem. I uploaded a picture for the figure. The figure below shows the path of a beam of light through several layers (n1 = 1.58, n2 = 1.39, n3 = 1.21 and n4 = 1.00) of different indices of refraction. PART1 ASKS...

Homework Statement In an experiment to find the index of refraction, n, of a block of glass, the angle of incidence, θi , and angle of refraction, θr , were measured a number of times as follows: θi 10◦ 20◦ 30◦ 40◦ 50◦ θr 7.0 ◦ 13.5 ◦ 20.0 ◦ 25.5 ◦ 31.0 ◦ calculate the index of refraction n...

Hi. Will the amplitude of Poynting's vector change if the electromagnetic wave goes from one medium to another? Shouldn't the amplitude remain constant due to conservation of energy? I.e. the photon-density and velocity will change, but their total intensity remains the same. I could always do...

Does sound also refract like light? I know it obeys laws of reflection like that of light ( angle of incidence = angle of reflection) How we are able to hear sound when there are doors closed, windows closed etc. Light is eventually stopped by opaque high sized objects. So doors should stop...

When a pulse of light enters a denser medium(slow medium) then is there phase shift or rather it passes unshifted?

This may be silly...but why does light bend on moving from one medium to another medium. i can understand that, the density of particles, make it difficult for light to travel, hence it slows down. But why should it bend?