What is Refraction of Light?

The phenomenon of bending of light when light travels from one medium to another is called Refraction of Light.

Cause of Refraction of light

The speed of light varies when it travels between mediums. The increment or decrement of the speed of light is the main cause of the refraction of light.

Rarer and Denser Medium

In between two given mediums, the medium where the speed of light is relatively greater is called the Rarer Medium, and the medium where the speed of light is relatively smaller is called the Denser Medium.

Examples

Glass and air: Air is a rarer medium and glass is a denser medium.

Glass and Water: Water is a rarer medium and glass is a denser medium.

Laws of Refraction of Light

The refraction of light always obeys the laws of refraction of light. 

1. The incident ray, the refracted ray, and the normal lie in the same place and point.
2. For any pair of media, the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence (sin i) and sine of the angle of refraction (sine r) is a constant. It is also called Snell’s Law. 

Refractive Index

The ratio of the speed of light in air or vacuum to the speed of light in the medium is called the refractive index. It is represented by \(\mu\). If ‘c’ and ‘v’ are the speed of light in air and the medium respectively. Then

Applications of Refraction of Light

Refraction of Light has various applications in different fields, including Optics, Prism and Spectroscopy, Camera Systems, and Fiber Optics. For instance, corrective lenses, microscopes, telescopes, and camera lenses use refraction to focus images. Prisms separate white light into its constituent colors, while optical fibers use multiple refractions to transmit light signals over long distances with minimal loss.

If you have questions about Refraction of Light, please refer to the FAQs below:

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Q1. What is the Refraction of Light?

Refraction of Light is the bending of light when it travels from one medium to another.

Q2. What is the cause of the Refraction of Light?

The variation in the speed of light between different mediums is the main cause of the Refraction of Light.

Q3. What are Rarer and Denser Medium?

The Rarer Medium is the medium where the speed of light is relatively higher, while the Denser Medium is the medium where the speed of light is relatively lower.

Q4. What are the Laws of Refraction of Light?

The Laws of Refraction of Light state that 

1. The incident ray, refracted ray, and the normal lie in the same place and point.
2. The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence (sin i) and the sine of the angle of refraction (sine r) is constant.

Q5. What are the applications of the Refraction of Light?

Refraction of Light has various applications, such as corrective lenses, microscopes, telescopes, camera lenses, prisms, and fiber optics.