Snell's Law and Light

In summary, when a light ray enters a glass plate of finite width, it does not change direction when it exits if the index of refraction for air and glass is taken into account. This is demonstrated by using Snell's Law twice, once for the first refraction and once for the second, in order to show that the amount by which the ray is bent towards the normal upon entering the glass is exactly compensated for by the amount by which it is bent away from the normal upon exiting. Thus, there is no net refraction and the direction of the wave remains unchanged.
  • #1
clipperdude21
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Snell's Law and Light!

1. Use Snell's Law to show that a light ray which enters glass plane of wfinite width does not change direction when it exits the plate.



2. sin(theta in)/sin(theta refracted)= n2/n1



3. I know that if lamda in medium 1 does not equal lamda in medium 2, the direction of the wave changes. To show that the wave doesn't change directions we would need to show that lamba 1= lamda 2?
 
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  • #2
You need to think about this a little more. There is no way that the index of refraction for air will ever be equal to the index of refraction of glass. What you are missing is a clear picture of what is happening in this set up. It helps to draw a diagram.

The light goes from medium 1 (air) into medium 2 (glass) and then BACK into medium 1 (air). In other words, it goes THROUGH the glass plate. That means that it gets refracted TWICE. Once at the air-glass interface on the near side of the plate, and once at the glass-air interface on the FAR side. So you have to use Snell's law twice. Once for the first refraction, and once for the second refraction, in order to show that the amount by which the beam is bent toward the normal upon entering the glass is exactly compensated for by the amount by which it is bent away from the normal upon exiting. Then you will have shown that there is no NET refraction.
 
  • #3



I can confirm that Snell's Law is a fundamental principle in optics that governs the behavior of light as it passes through different mediums. It states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is equal to the ratio of the refractive indices of the two mediums. This law can be used to explain why a light ray does not change direction when it enters and exits a glass plate of finite width.

In this scenario, we can consider the glass plate to be medium 1 and the surrounding air to be medium 2. Since the glass plate has a higher refractive index than air, n1>n2. According to Snell's Law, this means that the angle of refraction (theta refracted) will be smaller than the angle of incidence (theta in). As the light ray enters the glass plate, it bends towards the normal, but when it exits the plate, it bends away from the normal by the same amount. This results in the light ray maintaining its original direction, as the two bends cancel each other out.

To further illustrate this concept, we can use the equation sin(theta in)/sin(theta refracted)= n2/n1. Since n1 and n2 are constants for a given medium, this equation shows that for a specific angle of incidence, the angle of refraction will also be constant. This means that no matter the width of the glass plate, the light ray will always exit at the same angle and direction, as long as the angle of incidence remains the same.

Furthermore, it is important to note that Snell's Law only applies when the wavelength of light remains constant. As mentioned in the third statement, if the wavelength changes between the two mediums, the direction of the light wave will also change. This is known as dispersion and it is a phenomenon that is often observed when white light passes through a prism.

In conclusion, Snell's Law plays a crucial role in understanding the behavior of light as it passes through different mediums. By applying this law, we can explain why a light ray does not change direction when it enters and exits a glass plate of finite width. This is due to the equal and opposite bends that occur at the two interfaces, resulting in the light ray maintaining its original direction.
 

1. What is Snell's Law?

Snell's Law is a principle in optics that describes the relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction when light passes through different mediums. It states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is equal to the ratio of the speed of light in the first medium to the speed of light in the second medium.

2. How is Snell's Law used in everyday life?

Snell's Law is used in everyday life in a variety of ways. It is the principle behind the bending of light in lenses, which allows for glasses, contact lenses, and cameras to function. It also explains why objects appear to bend when viewed through different mediums, such as water or glass.

3. What factors affect the refraction of light according to Snell's Law?

The main factors that affect the refraction of light according to Snell's Law are the angle of incidence, the speed of light in the two mediums, and the refractive index of the two mediums. The refractive index is a measure of how much the speed of light is reduced when passing through a medium.

4. How does Snell's Law relate to the speed of light?

Snell's Law directly relates to the speed of light as it compares the speeds of light in two different mediums. The speed of light is typically slower in denser materials, such as water or glass, which is why the angle of refraction is always smaller than the angle of incidence according to Snell's Law.

5. Are there any exceptions to Snell's Law?

While Snell's Law is generally accurate, there are a few exceptions. It does not apply to non-linear materials, such as some crystals, where the refractive index is dependent on the intensity of the light. It also does not hold true for extremely small angles, as the law is based on the assumption of a continuous change in path.

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