What happens to light as it enters and exits the water?
As light initially enters the water, it is refracted as in figure (b) and then reflected off the mirror (at the bottom of the glass). Upon exiting the water, the light is bent away from the normal as it passes from water (more dense) and into air (less dense).
What happens to a flashlight when it falls into water?
Upon exiting the water, the light is bent away from the normal as it passes from water (more dense) and into air (less dense). The light would leave the flashlight, bend at the surface of the water, reflect off the mirror at the bottom of the glass and move towards the surface, where it would bend outward at the same angle it bent in on the way in.
What happens to light when it refracts in water?
Refraction of light in water. When light travels from air into water, it slows down, causing it to change direction slightly.
What happens to light when it passes through a denser medium?
When light passes from a less dense to a more dense substance, (for example passing from air into water), the light is refracted (or bent) towards the normal. The normal is a line perpendicular (forming a 90 degree angle) to the boundary between the two substances. The bending occurs because light travels more slowly in a denser medium.
What happens when light travels from air to water?
When light travels from air into water, it slows down, causing it to change direction slightly. This change of direction is called refraction. When light enters a more dense substance (higher refractive index), it 'bends' more towards the normal line
How does light enter water?
Figure (b): Shine the light into the glass at an angle. As the light enters the water, it is refracted . Since the light is passing from air (less dense) into water (more dense), it is bent towards the normal. The beam of light would appear to bend at the surface of the water.
Why does refraction not occur?
So if light was incident on that interface from the higher index medium at any angle larger than the angle calculated by that expression, refraction could not occur because Snell’s law could not be satisfied. If refraction does to occur, reflection by the surface is the only other option - that is, light would be reflected back into the higher index medium and not be refracted into the lower index medium. The minimum angle at which that occurs is called the critical angle.
Why does light bend in a denser medium?
The normal is a line perpendicular (forming a 90 degree angle) to the boundary between the two substances. The bending occurs because light travels more slowly in a denser medium.
What would happen if light was perpendicular to the surface?
If, for example, light were perpendicular to the surface, the first angle would be zero, and so the second angle has to be zero to satisfy Snell’s law - so the light would just continue in the same direction straight into the second medium. (One should note that there will always be some reflection as well, which can be ignored here since the question is asking about refraction.)
What is the condition that must be satisfied for light to cross the interface between one transparent medium and another?
The condition that must be satisfied for light to cross the interface between one transparent medium and another is called Snell’s law of refraction. It depends on the angles of incidence and refraction and the indices of refraction of the two media and is expressed as
Which materials have double refraction properties?
Note that several materials, as the calcite, CaCO3, have double refraction properties. In this ca
