7: Waves 3

Refraction and Fibre Optics

Paper 1
c
1: Particles 1 19. Refractive index of a substance, n=
Atomic Structure and the SNF cs
20. Students should recall that the refractive index of air is approximately 1.
2: Particles 2 21. Snell’s law of refraction for a boundary n1 sin θ1=n 2 sin θ2
Particle Classification
n2
22. Total internal reflection sin θc =
3: Particles 3 n1
Particle Interaction 23. Simple treatment of fibre optics including the function of the cladding.
24. Optical fibres will be limited to step index only.
4: Quantum
Photoelectric, Energy Levels and WPD 25. Material and modal dispersion.
26. Students are expected to understand the principles and consequences of
5: Waves 1 pulse broadening and absorption.
Wave Basics and Stationary Waves

6: Waves 2
Diffraction and Interference

7: Waves 3
Refraction and Fibre Optics

8: Mechanics 1
Scalars, Vectors and Moments

9: Mechanics 2
Motion and Newton’s Laws

10: Mechanics 3
Momentum and Energy

11: Materials
Hooke’s Law and the Young Modulus

12: Electricity 1
Resistivity and Superconductivity

13: Electricity 2
Series, Parallel and Potential Dividers

14: Electricity 3
Energy, EMF and Internal Resistance

15: Further Mechanics 1

Circular Motion

16: Further Mechanics 2

Simple Harmonic Motion
 Monday: Refraction Notes

What does refraction mean in terms of light rays? …………….…………………….………………………………….………………………

When does refraction happen? …………….……………………………………………………………….…………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
The diagrams below show a ray of light leaving a ray box, travelling through material A and entering material B.
In both diagrams continue the line from the ray box as a straight, dotted line through B and back into A to use as a reference line.
In this diagram material B is more difficult to move through In this diagram material B is easier to move through compared
compared to material A. to material A.
Draw the path of the ray through B and out into A again. Draw the path of the ray through B and out into A again.

What would happen if the ray of light was shone down the normal? …………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
The refractive index of a material can be calculate using the following equation:
c
n=
cs
Symbol n Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol c Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

Symbol c s Quantity …………………………………………………………………………………………… Units ………………………

What is the approximate refractive index of air? ………………………………

What is the connection between the refractive index of a material and how easy it is for light to travel through it?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
The refractive indicies of two materials can be compared using the following equation (Snell’s Law).
n1 sin θ1=n 2 sin θ2

Symbols denoted with a 1 refer to …………………………………………………………………

Symbols denoted with a 2 refer to …………………………………………………………………

If light travels from one material to another of higher refractive index the speed of the light will …………………………………………..

and the ray will …………………………………………..………………………………………….. the normal.

If light travels from one material to another of lower refractive index the speed of the light will …………………………………………..

and the ray will …………………………………………..………………………………………….. the normal.

Explain what is meant by the term ‘critical angle’ of a material.

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
Complete these diagrams to support your explanation. In the diagrams the critical angle is 42°.

Justify the word ‘total’ in the term ‘total internal reflection’.

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
The critical angle at the boundary between two materials can be calculated using the following equation:
n2
sin θc =
n1
The symbol n1 represents: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The symbol n2 represents: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

What does it mean if a material has a higher refractive index (in terms of how easy it is for light to travel through it)?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
What does it mean if a material has a lower refractive index (in terms of how easy it is for light to travel through it)?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
Complete these diagrams using the information that you have been given about n1 and n2.
Assume that the angle of incidence is below the critical angle.

n1 <n 2 n1=n2 n1 >n 2

State the two conditions necessary for a light ray to undergo total internal reflection at a boundary between two transparent media.

1..…………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

2..…………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
 Tuesday: Refraction Exam Questions
Q31. The diagram below shows three transparent glass blocks A, B and C joined together. Each glass block has a different
refractive index.

Q31(a) State the two conditions necessary for a light ray to undergo T.I.R. at the boundary between two transparent media.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................................. (2)
Q31(b) Calculate the speed of light in glass A. The refractive index of glass A = 1.80

speed of light ..................................... ms−1 (2)

Q31(c) Show that angle is about 30°.

(2)
Q31(d) The refractive index of glass C is 1.40. Calculate the critical angle between glass A and glass C.

critical angle ................................. degrees (2)

Q31(ei) State and explain what happens to the light ray when it reaches the boundary between glass A and glass C.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................................. (2)
Q31(eii) On the diagram above continue the path of the light ray after it strikes the boundary between glass A and glass C. (1)
(Total 11 marks)
Q32. Figure 1 shows a ray of light A incident at an angle of 60° to the surface of a layer of oil that is floating on water.
The refractive index of oil is 1.47 and the refractive index of water is 1.33
Figure 1

Q32(ai) Calculate the angle of refraction θ in Figure 1.

angle ................................ degrees (2)

Q32(aii) Calculate the critical angle for a ray of light travelling from oil to water.

angle ................................ degrees (2)

Q32(aiii) On Figure 1 continue the path of the ray of light A immediately after it strikes the boundary between the oil and the water.
(2)
Q32(b) In Figure 2 a student has incorrectly drawn a ray of light B entering the glass and then entering the water before totally
internally reflecting from the water–oil boundary. Figure 2

The refractive index of the glass is 1.52 and the critical angle for the glass–water boundary is about 60°.
Give two reasons why the ray of light B would not behave in this way. Explain your answers.
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................................. (4)
(Total 10 marks)
 Wednesday: Finding Refractive Index Extended Writing

Describe how you would use a power pack, ray box and other standard laboratory equipment to obtain accurate and reliable
measurement of the refractive index and critical angle of a Perspex block. Your description should include:
 Details of the experimental set up (you may include a diagram) including a risk assessment
 Details of measurements you would take and how you would use your measurements to find the refractive index and critical
angle
 An account of how you could check to see if a second block of Perspex has the same refractive index as the first block
 Details of how to improve the accuracy and precision of your measurements.

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
 Wednesday: Refraction and Fibre Optics Definitions

Frequency The number of waves that pass a point in every second.

Refractive Index A measure of how much light is slowed by the material.

Absorption When part of a signal is lost into the material that a fibre optic is made from.

Towards the Normal When light enters a material of higher refractive index it bends…

Cladding The outer part of a fibre optic that helps change the critical angle.

Amplitude The maximum displacement of a point on a wave.

Increases When light leaves a material of higher refractive index the speed…

Modal This type of dispersion is caused by light rays taking difference paths down the fibre optic.

From the Normal The angle of incidence and refraction are measured…

Pulse Broadening Dispersion causes this in fibre optics.

Critical Angle Refraction happens when the angle of incidence is below this.

Wavelength The shortest distance between two points on a progressive wave that are in phase.

Decreases When light enters a material of higher refractive index the speed.

Total Internal Reflection When the angle of incidence is above the critical angle this happens.

Away from the Normal When light enters a material of a lower refractive index it bends…

Laser A source of monochromatic light.

Coherent Two waves with the same amplitude, frequency and a constant phase relationship.

Monochromatic A wave of only one wavelength.

Repeaters These are used to boost and regenerate the signal every so often in a fibre optic.

Reflect A ray meeting a boundary above the critical angle will…

Material This type of dispersion is caused because different wavelengths travel at different speeds.

Refract A ray meeting a boundary below the critical angle will…

Absorption Amplitude Away from the Normal Cladding

Coherent Critical Angle Decreases Frequency
From the Normal Increases Laser Material
Modal Monochromatic Pulse Broadening Reflect
Refract Refractive Index Repeaters Total Internal Reflection
Towards the Normal Wavelength
 Thursday: Fibre Optics Notes
Complete the diagram to show the path taken by the light ray as it travels through the optical fibre.

Telephone and cable TV signals can be sent through optical fibres.

What are the advantages of using light pulses sent through optical fibres instead of electricity flowing through copper wires?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
The diagram shows a cross-section through an optical fibre.
What are the names of the parts labelled X, Y and Z?

X………………….…..………… Y……………….……..………… Z……………...…………………

What is the purpose of Y?

……………………………………………………………………………………….……………………

What is the purpose of the cladding around the core of an optical fibre?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

The cladding also changes the critical angle of the core-cladding boundary. If the refractive index of the core was 1.6:
A) What would the speed of light be in the core?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

B) What would the critical angle be if the core had no cladding (exposed to the air)?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

C) What would happen to the critical angle if the cladding had a refractive index above 1 but lower the core (e.g. 1.35)?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

D) What would happen to the critical angle if the cladding had a refractive index higher that the core (e.g. 1.78)?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

E) What is the link or relationship between the cladding refractive index and the critical angle?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
F) What would this mean in terms of the signal/light travelling down the optical fibre?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

The signal travelling down an optical fibre can degrade due to absorption and dispersion.
Absorption: Some of the signal’s energy is absorbed by the material that the fibre is made from.
Complete this diagram to show what absorption does to the signal.

What might this mean in terms of a telephone or TV signal?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
Dispersion: modal and material
Modal Dispersion: Light rays enter the optical fibre at different angles and so take different paths down the fibre. Light rays following
the most direct route (A) will arrive quicker that those taking a longer reflected path (B).

How do we reduce this effect? …………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………….……………………………….………………………………………..

Material Dispersion: Different wavelengths experience different amounts of refraction. This means different wavelengths are slowed
to different speeds in the optical fibre.

How do we reduce this effect? …………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………….……………………………….………………………………………..
Complete this diagram to show what dispersion does to the signal.

What might this mean in terms of a telephone or TV signal?

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………..
 Friday: Fibre Optics Exam Questions
Q33(a) The speed of light is given by c = f λ.
State how each of these quantities will change, if at all, when light travels from air to glass.

c ....................................................... f ........................................................ λ .......................................................

(3)
Figure 1 shows a side view of a step index optical fibre.
Figure 1

Q33(b) Ray A enters the end of the fibre and then undergoes total internal reflection.
On Figure 1 complete the path of this ray along the fibre. (2)
Q33(ci) The speed of light in the core is 2.04 × 108 ms–1. Show that the refractive index of the core is 1.47.

(2)
Q33(cii) Show that the critical angle at the boundary between the core and the cladding is about 80°.
The refractive index of the cladding = 1.45

(2)
Q33(d) Ray B enters the end of the fibre and refracts along the core-cladding boundary. Calculate the angle of incidence, θ, of this
ray at the point of entry to the fibre.

answer = ...................................... degrees (3)

Q33(e) Figure 2 shows a pulse of monochromatic light (labelled X) that is transmitted a significant distance along the fibre. The
shape of the pulse after travelling along the fibre is labelled Y. Explain why the pulse at Y has a lower amplitude and is
longer than it is at X. Figure 2

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................................. (2)
(Total 14 marks)
Q34. The diagram below shows a section of a typical glass step-index optical fibre used for communications.

Q34(a) Show that the refractive index of the core is 1.47.

(1)
Q34(b) The refracted ray meets the core-cladding boundary at an angle exactly equal to the critical angle.
Q34(bi) Complete the diagram above to show what happens to the ray after it strikes the boundary at X. (2)
Q34(bii) Calculate the critical angle.

critical angle = .........................degrees (1)

Q34(biii) Calculate the refractive index of the cladding.

refractive index = ..................................... (2)

Q34(c) Give two reasons why optical fibres used for communications have a cladding.

Reason 1 ..................................................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................................................................

Reason 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................................. (2)
(Total 8 marks)
 Saturday: Refraction and Fibre Optics Checklist
# I can…   
111 Describe, in basic terms, what refraction is and when it happens.
112 Label the angle of incidence and angle of refraction.
113 Explain what the term refractive index means.
114 Explain what a refractive index of (2, 3, 1.8) means.
115 Recall the approximate refractive index of air.
116 Calculate refractive index using the speed equation.
117 Rearrange the refractive index equation to calculate speed.
118 Recall the sum of the angles inside a triangle.
119 Rearrange Snell’s law to calculate the unknown refractive index.
120 Rearrange Snell’s law to calculate the unknown angle.
121 Describe what happens to the speed of a ray as it enters a material of higher/lower refractive index.
122 Describe what happens to the angle of a ray as it enters a material of higher/lower refractive index.
123 Describe what happens to the wavelength of a ray as it enters a material of higher/lower refractive index.
124 Describe what happens to the frequency of a ray as it enters a material of higher/lower refractive index.
125 Explain what is meant by the term critical angle.
126 Explain what total internal reflection is.
127 Calculate the critical angle of a boundary.
128 Rearrange the critical angle equation to find the unknown
129 State the conditions needed for total internal reflection to occur.
130 Extract information from diagrams and text.
131 Determine if refraction or total internal reflection will occur.
132 Complete a diagram of refraction or reflection.
133 Describe some uses of fibre optics.
134 Explain some of the uses of fibre optics including advantages.
135 Describe the structure of a fibre optic.
136 Explain the function of the cladding of a fibre optic.
137 Explain why a high value of critical angle is desirable in a fibre optic.
138 Explain what pulse absorption is.
139 Explain the consequences of pulse absorption.
140 Explain what pulse broadening is.
141 Explain the consequences of pulse broadening.
142 Explain what modal dispersion is.
143 Describe how modal dispersion can be reduced.
144 Explain what material dispersion is.
145 Describe how material dispersion can be reduced.