1. Refraction When light passes from one medium to another, it bends.
The bending of light rays between two different media is called refraction.
Refraction is due to changes in the speed of light. The more light slows down, the more light is refracted.

2. The index of refraction is the amount by which a medium decreases the speed of light.
The index of refraction of the speed of light in a vacuum is assigned a value of 1.00.
The larger the index of refraction, the more the medium decreases the speed of light.
The more the medium decreases the speed of light, the more optically dense the medium.

3. Snell’s Law

4. PHET

5. The angles of the refracted light rays are measured from the normal
When light travels from a medium with a low refractive index (less optically dense) to a medium with a high refractive index (more optically dense), it bends towards the normal.
When light travels from
a more optically dense
medium to a less
optically dense medium,
it bends away from the
normal.

6. Total Internal Reflection
Recall that when light passes from a denser material into a less dense material the light refracts away from the normal.
As the angle of incidence increases, the angle of refraction increases.
As we increase the angle of incidence, eventually the light will refract so far away from the normal that it follows a path exactly along the surface of the water.

7. The angle at which this occurs is called the critical angle.
What if the angle of incidence is increased even farther? (What if the angle of incidence is larger than the critical angle?)
If the angle of the incident ray is larger than the critical angle, the light will be completely reflected back into the water.

8. This is called Total Internal Reflection:
In TIR, light reflects completely off the inside wall of a denser medium (higher index of refraction) rather than passing through the wall into a less dense medium (lower index of refraction).
Application: Fiber Optics

11. LENSES

12. CONCAVE LENS USES Peepholes to provide a panoramic view
In glasses to correct nearsightedness
Binoculars and Telescopes to help focus images more clearly
In flashlights to increase the beam of the light source
To modify laser beams in medical equipment, scanners and CD players

13. CONVEX LENS USES
The Eye to focus an image on the retina in the back of the eye
Glasses and contact lenses to correct farsightedness
Microscope, Telescope and Binoculars
Cameras to focus an image on a film or a sensor in a digital camera

14. T E R M I N O L O G Y Optical Center, O Secondary Focus
Principal Focus
Secondary
Focus
Principal Focus

15. DRAWING A RAY DIAGRAM
Axis of Symmetry
The index of refraction of a lens is greater than the index of refraction of air.
Therefore, when a light ray passes through the lens two refractions occur.
Normal 2
Normal 1 PA

16. DRAWING A RAY DIAGRAM We will assume we are working with a thin lens.
The thickness of a thin lens is small compared to its focal length.
You can simplify drawing a ray diagram of a thin lens by assuming that all refraction takes place at the axis of symmetry.

17. CONCAVE LENS
RAY 1: From the tip of the object parallel to the principal axis (When this ray refracts, it appears to come from the principal focus.)
RAY 2: From the tip of the object toward the secondary focus (This ray refracts parallel to the principal axis.)
RAY 3: From the tip of the object through the optical center (This ray is not refracted.)
Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect.

18. CONVEX LENS
RAY 1: From the tip of the object parallel to the principal axis (When this ray refracts, it passes through the principal focus.)
RAY 2: From the tip of the object through the secondary focus (This ray refracts parallel to the principal axis.)
RAY 3: From the tip of the object through the optical centre (This ray is not refracted.)
Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect.

19. CONCAVE LENSES Object placed in front of lens
RAY 1: From the tip of the object parallel to the principal axis (When this ray refracts, it appears to come from the principal focus.)

20. RAY 2: From the tip of the object toward the secondary focus (This ray refracts parallel to the principal axis.) F F’

21. Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect. DON’T FORGET SALT!
RAY 3: From the tip of the object through the optical center (This ray is not refracted.) F F’
Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect.
DON’T FORGET SALT!

22. CONVEX LENSES Object is more than two focal lengths away from the lens
RAY 1: From the tip of the object parallel to the principal axis (When this ray refracts, it passes through the principal focus.)

23. RAY 2: From the tip of the object through the second focus (This ray refracts parallel to the principal axis.) F’ F

24. Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect.
RAY 3: From the tip of the object through the optical centre (This ray is not refracted.) F’ F
DON’T FORGET SALT!
Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect.

25. CONVEX LENSES Object is between one and two focal lengths
RAY 1: From the tip of the object parallel to the principal axis (When this ray refracts, it passes through the principal focus.)

26. RAY 2: From the tip of the object through the second focus
(This ray refracts parallel to the principal axis.) F’ F

27. RAY 3: From the tip of the object through the optical centre
(This ray is not refracted.)
DON’T FORGET SALT! F’ F
Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect.

28. CONVEX LENSES Object is less than one focal length away from the lens
RAY 1: From the tip of the object parallel to the principal axis (When this ray refracts, it passes through the principal focus.)

29. RAY 2: From the tip of the object through the second focus (This ray refracts parallel to the principal axis.) F’ F

30. Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect.
RAY 3: From the tip of the object through the optical centre (This ray is not refracted.) F’ F
Draw the image where the rays appear to intersect.
DON’T FORGET SALT!

31. Thin Lens Equations

33. POWER (Diopters)