Chapter Three -1- Unit one

Light as wave motion

:Light

Light is a branch of•

.electromagnetic waves

It consists of electric field and•

magnetic field perpendicular to each other and

perpendicular to the direction

of propagation, therefore it

considers as transverse waves,

..and it travel through space

:Propagation of light

Light propagates in straight•

.lines

:Reflection of light
.It is the reverse of light ray when it meet reflector•

:The laws of reflection

.)The angle of incident (φ) = the angle of reflection (θ .1

The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal to.2

the reflecting surface all lie in one plane perpendicular

.to the reflecting surface

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Chapter Three -2- Unit one

:Refraction of light

It is the bending of light ray when it passes between two

.optical mediums

If the angle of incident is zero (the ray fall perpendicular to the•

surface) it cause no refraction; because all the points of wave

.front change their velocity at the same time

The optical piece used in the experiment is semi circular prism,•

and the light beam fall on the plane surface, so it will refract in

the direction of the radius, which fall normally to the circular

.surface with out any refraction

:The laws of refraction

•
sin φ
refractiveindex(n) =
sinθ

The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the•
.interface lie in the same plane

:)Refractive index [absolute refractive index] (n

It is the ratio between the velocities of light in space, to its

.velocity in that medium

c
n=
v

.Where: c is the velocity of light in space

:)Relative refractive index (1n2

It is the ratio between the velocities of light in the first

.medium to its velocity in the second one

2008/2009 Summary
 Chapter Three -3- Unit one

v1 sin φ
1 n2 = =
v2 sin θ

:Relation between relative and absolute index

The first• The first• The first•

medium (1) has medium (air) has medium (air) has

velocity of light = velocity of light = velocity of light =

V1 C C

The second• The second• The second•

medium (2) has medium (1) has medium (2) has

velocity of light = velocity of light = velocity of light =

V2 V1 V2

V1
C n2 =
nn21 == 1
V2
V
V21

C = n1 V1 C = n2 V2

n1 V1 = n2 V2

V1 n2
=
V2 n1

n2
1 n2 =
n1

:Snell’s law

n2
1 n2 = (1)
n1
F
V1
1n2 = (2)
V2
)rom (1) and (2

)From (3) and (4

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Chapter Three -4- Unit one

n 2 sin
V
= 1 φ = n2 (3)
n V2 θ n
sin φ1 sin
V 1
but = 1 ( 4)
sin θ V2
n 1 sin φ=n 2 sin θ

:.N.B

1 •
1 n2 =
2 n1
medium, which has less The•

velocity, considered optically denser than

.the medium, which has great velocity

Refractive index depends of wavelength,•

and since each color of light has its own

wavelength so each color has it own

refractive index, and that lead to analysis the while light into
.its component by refraction

:Interference of light

By using of double slit experiment

:to young

s1 and s2 considered as•

coherent source of light

.)(produce seemlier waves

d is the distance between the•

.two slits

.R is the distance between the double slit and the screen•

The waves must be monochromatic, because each color of light•

has its own wavelength, and the distance between the fringes
.depends on the wavelength

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Chapter Three -5- Unit one

R
∆y = λ
d

:.N.B

.)I meter (m) = 1010 Angstrom (Å

:Diffraction of light

It is the change of light direction when it•

.passes through aperture or a small obstacle

The aperture of the slit must be equal or less•

.than the wavelength of the light

If the aperture has circular shape•

the diffraction appear at the screen

as airy’s disk, where is consists of

bright disk at the middle followed

.by dark and bright rings

If the aperture has rectangular shape the diffraction appear•

as fringes of bright and darkness

:Light as wave motion

:Light considers as wave motion because

.It propagates in straight lines•

.It reflects when it meets reflector•

It refract when it transfers from an optical medium to•

.another

.It interferes forming bright and darkness fringes•

.It diffracts when it pass through aperture•

2008/2009 Summary
Chapter Three -6- Unit one

:Critical angle and total reflection

When a ray of light passes from a denser optical medium [less•

velocity of light] to a less dense

[high velocity of light] medium,

it refracts away from the

.normal

By increasing of the incident angle, the refracted angle will•

.increase to reach 90°

By increasing of the incident angle, the emerge ray will return at•
.the same medium forming total reflection

:Critical angle

It is the angle of incidence in the dense medium that

corresponds to an angle of refraction in the less dense

.medium = 90°

.From Snell's law

n1 sin φc = n2 sin 90

n 1 sin 90
=
n 2 sin φ c
But (n2) which is the absolute refractive index of air = 1, also sin 90

=1

1
n=
sin φ c
:Totally reflection

It is the reflection of light by the separating surface from

dens optical medium to less dens optical medium when the

angle of incident is greater then the critical angle, and it

2008/2009 Summary
Chapter Three -7- Unit one

cause reflection to all the energy of the beam, while the

normal reflection by the reflected surface cause some of the

.ray to refract

:Application of totally reflection

:]Optical fibres [endoscope

It is a fine hollow fiber of a•

transparent material. When

the incident ray enters, it falls

at the surface with an angle

greater than the critical angle.

the ray will totally reflected emerges from the other end of the
.fiber

It is widely used as endoscopes in medicine and to carry•

electrical signals in
.communications

:Mirage

It is the appearance of an inverted

image to an object, when the surface of
.earth is hot

The layer of air with contact to the earth surface increases in•
.temperature and became less dens

.The upper layer will be dens than the lower layer•

The ray falls from the object will refracted may time through the•

layer of hot air increasing of its angle until become greater than
.the critical angle

.The ray will totally reflect causing the mirage•

2008/2009 Summary
Chapter Three -8- Unit one

:Totally reflected prism

.It is used to change the path of light rays either by 90 or 180

.To change the path of light ray by 180°

The ray falls on the surface ab with angle of incident•

.= zero, it will not refract

Then it falls to the surface ab with angle of incident•

greater than the critical angle to cause totally

.reflection

It falls in the surface bc with angle of•

incident greater than the critical angle to

.cause totally reflection once again

Then fall in the surface cb with an angle•

.of zero so it emerges rotated by 180°

.This case is used in binocular•

To change the path of light ray by

.90°

Describe the using of prism to rotate the ray with 90°. Which
.used in periscope

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Chapter Three -9- Unit one

ф2
A
3
2
1
φθθα θ1
θ2
φ1
α

Deviat
ion
with a
triang
ular
:prism

From the

previous
:diagram

A + 3 =

180

θ1+ф2

+ 3 =

180

A = θ1 +
)ф2 ……………………(1

α=1+2

φ1 - θ1 = 1

θ2 - ф2 = 2

α = φ1 - θ1 + θ2 - φ2

)α = φ1 + θ2 - (θ1 + φ2

)From equation (1

)α = φ1 + θ2 – A (2

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 Chapter Three -10- Unit one

:Where

.A is the angle of prism, and it called refractive angle

.α the angle of deviation

.φ1 the angle of incident

.θ2 the angle of emergence

:Tracing the path of the ray through the prism

φ1
α

The deviation angle decrease by increasing of the incident angle•

to a certain value [minimum deviation] then it increases by

.increasing of the incident angle

:In the case of minimum deviation•

.The refracted ray will be parallel to the base of prism

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Chapter Three -11- Unit one

θ1 = φ2

A=2θ

A
θ=
2
And

φ1 = θ2

α = 2 φ +A

2φ = α - A

α+A
φ=
2
)Angle of deviation (α
sin φ
n=
sin θ
It is the angle between the produced
α+A
sin 
n=  2 
A
sin 
2

.extended parts of incident ray and the emergent ray

:Important notes

From the graph of minimum deviation we can notes that the•

graph start from a certain value of incident angle called minimum

angle of incident, and that angle is corresponding to the

maximum angle of emergent which equal to 90°, and that means
.that the emergent ray will be tangent to the prism

At the minimum angle of incident, the angle of incident at the•

.second face will be equal to the critical angle

If the angle of incident decrease than the minimum angle of•

.incident the prism will act as totally reflected prism

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Chapter Three -12- Unit one

.The angle of prism is called refractive angle•

Experiment to determine the ray path through a

:glass prism and its refractive index
.Place the glass prism on a sheet of paper, and Its position•

.Place two pins where the line join them indicates incident ray•

Look from the other side of the prism•

to see two virtual images for the two

.pins

Draw line at the extension of the two•

.images, as emergent ray

.Remove the prism•

.Connect the incident and the emergent ray•

Draw normal at the point of incident and another normal from the•
.point of emergent

Repeat the experiment and measure the following angels and•

.tabulate the results

Find the minimum angle of deviation and the corresponding•

.angles φ and θ

.Calculate the refractive index of the prism•

A φ θ φ θ α

1 1 2 2

Find the minimum angle of deviation and the corresponding•

.angles φ and θ

.Calculate the refractive index of the prism•

2008/2009 Summary
Chapter Three -13- Unit one

:The dispersion of light by a triangular prism

The angle of deviation depends on the refractive

index, which depends on the wavelength. Therefore,

each color of light going to deviate by a certain

.angle, deference than the other color

:.N.B

When the wavelength increases the angle of deviation decrease,•

therefore the red color has smaller angle of deviation than the
.violet one

:The thin prism

It is a triangular prism, with an angle not more than 10°. It is•

.always in a position of minimum deviation

In case of the small angles the angle in radian unit is equal to its•

α+A
n= 2
A
2
α+A
n=
A
.sin

nΑ = α + A

α = nA - A

)α = A (n-1

:)Dispersive power (ω

.It is the ratio between the angular size and the angle of deviation

αb − αr nb − nr
ω= =
α n −1
2008/2009 Summary
Chapter Three -14- Unit one

:In case of thin prism for the red color

) α r = A ( nr - 1

:In case of thin prism for the blue color

)αb = A (nb - 1

)αb - αr = A (nb - 1) - A ( nr - 1

)αb - αr = A (nb - 1 - nr + 1

)αb - αr = A (nb - nr

The left- hand side is known as the angular size of the spectrum•
.for yellow rays

:Also•
nr + nb
n=
2

:.N.B
:The angular size may called

.Depressive angle

Angle dispersion

.Angular deviation of spectrum

.Chromatic dispersion

2008/2009 Summary