Unit 3 Light

Light is electromagnetic radiation that has properties of waves.

Properties of light:
• Light travels in a straight line.

• Light does not require medium to propagate.

• Light is transverse wave.

• The speed of light is very high and it is 3 × 108 m/s.

Electromagnetic spectrum:
The electromagnetic spectrum is a range of frequencies, wavelengths and photon energies covering
frequencies from below 1 hertz to above 1025 Hz, corresponding to wavelengths which are a few kilometres
to a fraction of the size of an atomic nucleus in the spectrum of electromagnetic waves.
Electromagnetic Waves in the Electromagnetic Spectrum The entire range (electromagnetic spectrum) is
given by radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultra-violet radiation, X-rays, gamma
rays and cosmic rays in the increasing order of frequency and decreasing order of wavelength. The type of
radiation and their frequency and wavelength ranges are as follows:

Type of Radiation Frequency range (Hz)

Gamma rays 1020
X-rays 1018
Ultraviolet 1016
Visible 1015
Infrared 1012
Let us look into the uses of electromagnetic waves in our daily life.
Radio: A radio basically captures radio waves that are transmitted by radio stations. Radio waves are
mainly used for TV/mobile communication.
Microwave: This type of radiation used for cooking, data transmission, and satellite television.
Infrared: It is used in remote controls, night vision goggles, thermal imaging, and optical fibers.
X-ray: X-rays can be used in many instances. For example, a doctor can use an X-ray machine to take an
image of our bones or teeth.
Gamma-ray: Gamma rays are used in medicine (radiotherapy), industry (sterilization and disinfection)
and the nuclear industry.
Ultraviolet: Used to sterilize water, and in printed money to display hidden watermarks.
Visible: Visible light can be detected by our eyes. It is used for vision, photography, and illumination.
 Properties of Light:
1. Reflection of light
2. Refraction of light
3. Dispersion
4. Diffraction
5. Polarization of light
6. Interference of light

1. Reflection of light:
Reflection of light is when light rays bounce off a surface and change direction.
When a ray of light approaches a smooth polished surface and the light ray bounces back, it is called the
reflection of light.
Incident ray: The incident light ray that land on the surface is reflected off the surface.
Reflected ray: The ray that bounces back is called the reflected ray.

• Angle of Incidence – This is the angle between the incident ray and the normal. It is represented by
∠i and it is also called an Incident angle.
• Angle of Reflection – This is the angle between reflected ray and the normal. It is represented by ∠r
and it is also called a Reflected angle.

Law of Reflection:
1. The angle of incidence equivalent to the angle of reflection.
Ɵi = Ɵr
Where, θi is the angle of incidence and θr is the angle of reflection.
2. The incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal to the surface all lie in the same plane.
 2. Refraction of light:
➢ Some natural phenomena occurring in nature where refraction of light takes place are the
twinkling of stars, the formation of mirages and Rainbows, Optical illusions, and many more.
➢ The major cause of refraction to occur is the change in the speed of waves in different mediums,
which is different due to the difference between the densities of the mediums. e.g. the speed of
light in a vacuum is maximum.

Definition:
The bending of a light wave when it passes from one medium to another due to the change in the speed
of the light traveling the two different media is called the Refraction of light.

Here are the definitions of important terms used to study Refraction:

• Normal – The point of the surface at which an optical phenomenon occurs is called the normal. In
simple words, it is termed the point of incidence. It is shown by a dotted line drawn perpendicular to
the surface of the refracting material, in a ray diagram.
• Incident Ray – The light rays that strike the refracting surface, at the separation of two media are
called the Incident Ray.
• Refracted Ray – The light rays that bend after passing into another medium are called the Refracted
Ray.
• Angle of Incidence – This is the angle between the incident ray and the normal. It is represented by
∠i and it is also called an Incident angle.
• Angle of Refraction – This is the angle between refracted ray and the normal. It is represented by ∠r
and it is also called a Refracted angle.

Laws of Refraction of Light

The refraction of light traveling through different mediums follows some laws. There are two laws of
refraction as stated below

1. The reflected, incident, and the normal at the point of incidence all will tend to lie in the same plane.
2. The ratio of the sine of the angle of the incidence and refraction is constant which is termed Snell’s
law.
 Snell’s law:
The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is a constant, for the
light of a given colour and for the given pair of media.
sin 𝑖
• = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡
sin 𝑟
• where i is the angle of incidence, r is the angle of refraction, the constant value depends on the
refractive indexes of the two mediums.

The following is a diagrammatic representation:

➢ n1 and n2 are the two different mediums that will impact the refraction. θ1 is the angle of incidence;
θ2 is the angle of refraction.

3. Dispersion of Light:

The phenomenon of splitting of light into its component colours is called dispersion of light. When white
light passes through a glass prism, it is separated into distinct color components.
4. Diffraction of light:
We classically think of light as always traveling in straight lines, but when light waves pass near a barrier
they tend to bend around that barrier and become spread out.

Definition:
Diffraction of light is the phenomenon of bending light from the sharp corners of a slit or obstacle and
spreading into the region of the geometrical shadow.

5. Polarization of light (પ્રકાશનું ધ્રવીકરણ) :

Polarization of light refers to the phenomenon in which waves of light or electromagnetic radiation are
restricted to vibrate in a single direction.

6. Interference of light:
Definition: Interference of light refers to the superimposition of waves to form a resultant wave, which
can be of the higher, lower, or the same amplitude.
The superposition of two waves is called interference.

There are two types of interference

1) Constructive interference

2) Destructive interference

An interference pattern is created by the addition of two waves.

Constructive Interference Destructive Interference

The crest of one wave meets with the crest of The crest of one wave meets with the trough
another one. of another one.
Two waves add up when they meet each Two waves cancel out when they meet each
other. other.
The phase difference between the two waves The phase difference between the two waves
is zero. is 180 degrees.
The intensity of the wave increases The intensity of the wave decreases.
Its waves are in phase. Its waves are out of phase.

Conditions for Interference of Light:

Waves For sustained interference of light to occur, the following conditions must be met:
1. Coherent sources of light are needed.
2. The source must be small enough that it can be considered as a point source of light.
3. The sources must be monochromatic.
Question & Answer:
1. What is Snell’s law?
Ans. For light of a given colour and a given set of media, the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to
the sine of the angle of refraction is constant.
2. Why is used of Snell’s law?
Ans. Snell’s Law is particularly important for optical technologies like fibre optics.
3. What is the angle of refraction?
Ans. The angle formed by a refracted ray and its normal drawn at its point of incidence with a refracting
interface.
4. What causes refraction?
Ans. Refraction is caused due to the change in speed of light when it enters from one medium to another.
5. What factors affect refraction?
Ans. 1. Temperature 2. Wavelength
6. What is interference?
Ans. Interference is the phenomenon in which two waves superpose to form the resultant wave of the
lower, higher or same amplitude.
7. What are the types of light interference?
Ans. The following are the types of light interference:
• Constructive interference
• Destructive interference
8. What are the characteristics of coherent sources?
Ans. Coherent sources should have the following characteristics:
• The waves generated have a constant phase difference
• The waves are of a single frequency
9. Name the experiment performed to prove interference of light.
Ans. Young’s Double Slit Experiment
10. Give some examples to prove the interference of light.
Ans. • Soap Bubble which reflects spectrum of light
• Floating film of oil on water
• Colours generated by incandescent bulbs
Solved examples:
Q.1 If a ray is refracted at an angle of 14 and the refractive index is 1.2, compute the angle of
incidence.
Solution:
Given,
Angle of refraction (r) = 14⁰
Refractive index (µ) = 1.2
Unsing Snell’s law formula,
sin 𝑖
= µ
sin 𝑟
sin 𝑖
= 1.2
sin 14
sin 𝑖 = 1.2 × sin 14
sin i = 1.2 × 0.24
sin 𝑖 = 0.28
𝑖 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 (0.28)
𝑖 = 16⁰15′

Q.2 If the angle of incidence is 25⁰ and angle of refraction is 32⁰, find the refractive index of the
media.
Solution:
Angle of incidence (i) = 25⁰
Angle of refraction (i) = 32⁰
Refractive index (µ) = ?
Unsing Snell’s law formula,
sin 𝑖
= µ
sin 𝑟
sin 25
= µ
sin 32
 0.4226
= µ
0.5299
µ = 0.7975 ≅ 0.8