Chapter 33 Nature and Propagation of Light

Chapter 33
Nature and Propagation of Light
Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem
Chapter 33
33-1 The Nature of Light
33-2 Reflection and Refraction
33-3 Total Internal Reflection

33-4 Dispersion
33-5 Polarization
33-1
The Nature of Light
OBJECTIVE
Use the concept of wavefronts and rays to describe the
propagation
33-1
The Nature of Light
OPTICS
deals with the behavior of
light & other EM waves
33-1
The Nature of Light
Two Personalities of Light

1. Light is a particle.
Energy carried by light (waves) comes in discrete
bundles called photons.
Phenomenon revealing
light is a particle:
Emission and Absorption of light

Hydrogen Spectrum
Iron Spectrum
Spontaneous Emission
Only certain frequencies of light are emitted.5

33-1
The Nature of Light
Two Personalities of Light

2. Light is a wave.
Maxwells equations reveal that light is an EM wave
traveling with a speed c in vacuum.
Phenomenon revealing
light is a wave:
Propagation of light
33-1
The Nature of Light
Waves, Wavefronts and Rays

Wavefront
Locus of all adjacent points at which the phase of vibration of a physical quantity
associated with the wave is the same
33-1
The Nature of Light
Ray
Wave viewpoint:
Particle viewpoint:
an imaginary line along the

direction of travel of the wave
path of the particle
33-1
The Nature of Light
Ray
Wave viewpoint:
Particle viewpoint:
an imaginary line along the

direction of travel of the wave
path of the particle
Note:
Rays are always straight lines in an isotropic medium.
What is an isotropic medium?

A medium which has the same properties in
all regions and in all directions.
Chapter 33

33-4 Dispersion
33-5 Polarization
10
33-2
Reflection and Refraction
OBJECTIVES
Predict the direction of the reflected light using the Law of
Reflection
Evaluate the index of refraction of a material and its effect
on the path, wavelength and speed of light
Predict the direction of the refracted light using Snells Law
11
33-2
Well use the ray model of light to explore two of the most
important aspects of light propagation.
1 Reflection
2 Refraction
12
33-2
Incident, Reflected and Refracted (Transmitted) Rays
13
33-2
Index of Refraction n of a material

(refractive index)
Where:
v: speed of light in the material

c: speed of light in vacuum
unitless constant
n: index of refraction of the material
Note: In vacuum: n = 1.
Light travels more slowly in a material than in vacuum.

14
33-2
Law of Reflection
incident ray
a
r
reflected ray
Material a, na
Material b, nb
Where:
a: angle of incidence
r: angle of reflection
15
33-2
Example:
Answer:
Discussed in class.
Sin(angle) = 11.5/sqrt(11.5^2+14^2)
16
33-2
Seatwork:
Two mirrors are perpendicular to each other as shown. A
light ray hits mirror 1 at an angle of 30. The reflected ray
then hits mirror 2. At what angle does the second
reflection emerge?
Answer:
60 degrees
30
17
33-2
Law of Refraction
Where:
(Snells Law)
a: angle of incidence
b: angle of refraction
18
33-2
(Snells Law)
19
33-2
(Snells Law)
20
33-2
(Snells Law)
21
33-2
Note:
Where:
: wavelength of light in a material

o: wavelength of light in vacuum
The wavelength of light (wave) is different in

general in different materials.
The frequency f of light (wave) does not change

when passing from one material to another.
22
33-2
Example:
Answers
Spear: below
Laser: apparent
23
33-2
Example:
Ray A is incident on an air-water interface as shown.
1. Which arrow corresponds to the reflected ray?
2. Which arrow corresponds to the refracted ray?
Answers:
1. B
2. E
24
33-2
Example:
A ray of monochromatic light in air (n1) hits the upper surface of two
parallel-sided transparent materials as shown.
1. What is the index of refraction n2 of material 1?
2. What is the refracted angle in material 2?
3. At the bottom region, will the transmitted light bend towards or away
from the normal?
1. snells with angle of

incidence = 60 deg, not 30
2. Snells law ulit
3. Away since n1<n3
25
33-2
Seatwork:
A ray of light passes from different materials with
indices na, nb and nc as shown. What can we
conclude about the relationship of na, nb and nc?
Answer:
nb=nc<na
26
Chapter 33

33-4 Dispersion
33-5 Polarization
27
33-3
Total Internal Reflection
OBJECTIVE
Given the indices of refraction of different materials,
determine when total internal reflection occurs
28
33-3
a
r
na = 1.52
nb = 1.0
Question:
Is it possible that all of the light can be reflected back from the
interface with none of it being transmitted?
29
33-3

(TIR)
occurs only when a ray in material a is incident on a second material b whose
index of refraction is smaller than that of material a
Total internal reflection occurs only if nb < na.
crit
a
na = 1.52
nb = 1.0
30
33-3

(TIR)
TIR will occur if the angle of
incidence a is larger than or
equal to crit.
31
33-3
Example:
(a) 90-arcsin(1/1.52)
(b) 90-arcsin(1.33/1.52)
32
33-3
Seatwork:
Light enters a solid pipe made of plastic having an index of
refraction of nplastic. The light travels parallel to the upper part of
the pipe. You want to cut the face so that all the light will
reflect back into the pipe after it first strikes that face. What is
the largest that can be if the pipe is in air (nair)? Express your
answer in terms of nplastic and nair. Note: nplastic > nair.
Answer: 90-arcsin(n_air/n_plastic)
33
Chapter 33

33-4 Dispersion
33-5 Polarization
34
33-4
Dispersion
OBJECTIVES
Relate dispersion to the color separation of white light as it
travels through a prism at non-normal incidence
Deduce the speed of light in a medium from its dispersion
curve
35
33-4
Dispersion
White Light
Ordinary white light is a superposition of waves with wavelengths
extending throughout the visible spectrum.
36
33-4
Dispersion
Dispersion
dependence of wave speed and index of
refraction on wavelength
Where:
: wavelength of light in a material

o: wavelength of light in vacuum

v: speed of light in the material
c: speed of light in vacuum
37
33-4
Dispersion
The amount of dispersion depends on the

difference between the refractive indexes for
violet light and for red light.
Dispersion is greatest for silicate flint glass, for
which there is a larger difference in the value of n
between red and violet
38
33-4
Dispersion
How rainbows form
Dispersion Refraction
Reflection
39
33-4
Dispersion
How rainbows form
40
33-4
Dispersion
How rainbows form
41
33-4
Dispersion
How rainbows form
42
Chapter 33

33-4 Dispersion
33-5 Polarization
43
33-5
Polarization
OBJECTIVES
Characterize the different types of polarization
Use Malus Law to calculate the intensity of the transmitted
light after passing through a series of polarizers
44
33-5
Polarization
Polarization
is a characteristic of all transverse waves
direction of polarization of an EM wave

direction of the electric-field
Example of polarized EM wave:
waves emitted by a radio transmitter
45
33-5
Polarization
Example of unpolarized EM wave:
Light from incandescent bulb
46
33-5
Polarization
Question:
How do we create polarized
light from unpolarized light?
Answer:
polarizing filter
passes waves that are linearly
polarized along its polarizing axis
blocks waves polarized perpendicularly
to that axis.
Example: PolaroidTM
47
33-5
Polarization
Using Polarizers
Io
0.5Io
48
33-5
Polarization
What happens when the linearly polarized light emerging from the
polarizer passes through a second polarizer (analyzer)?
unpolarized light
polarized light
0.5Io
Io
polarizer
Maluss Law
analyzer
applies only if the incident light
passing through the analyzer is
already linearly polarized
49
33-5
Polarization
Maluss Law
applies only if the incident light

passing through the analyzer is
already linearly polarized
50
33-5
Polarization
unpolarized light
polarized light
0.5Io
Io
polarizer
analyzer
Maluss Law
Imax = 0.5Io
51
33-5
Polarization
52
33-5
Polarization
Example:
Answer: 3Io/8
53
33-5
Polarization
Example:
Answer:
Unpolarized: phi = arccos(1/sqrt(5))
Polarized: phi=arcos(1/sqrt(10))
54
33-5
Polarization
Seatwork:
A beam of unpolarized light of intensity Io passes through a
series of ideal polarizing filters with their polarizing directions
turned to various angles as shown.
Answers:
A. Io/2
B. Io/8
C. 3Io/16
What is the light intensity (in terms of Io) at points A, B and C?

55
33-5
Polarization
Question:
Answer:
How do we create polarized

light from unpolarized light?
Polarization by reflection
When light is incident on a reflecting surface at the polarizing angle p,

the reflected light is linearly polarized.
Brewsters Law
polarizing angle
56
33-5
Polarization
Brewsters Law
57
33-5
Polarization
Brewsters Law
polarizing angle
58
33-5
Polarization
Example:
Answers:
a.) n_glass=tan(54.5)
b.) snells law
59
33-5
Polarization
Circularly Polarized
Two sinusoidal waves of equal amplitude, polarized in the y- and z-directions
and with a quarter-cycle phase difference, are superposed.
right circularly polarized wave: electric field vector is rotating clockwise

60
33-5
Polarization
Circularly Polarized
Two sinusoidal waves of equal amplitude, polarized in the y- and z-directions
and with a quarter-cycle phase difference, are superposed.
left circularly polarized wave: electric field vector is rotating counterclockwise

61
33-5
Polarization
Elliptically Polarized
If the phase difference between the two component waves is something
other than a quarter-cycle, or if the two component waves have different
amplitudes.
62
End of Chapter 33

63

Chapter 33 Nature and Propagation of Light

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Chapter 33 Nature and Propagation of Light

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Chapter 33

Nature and Propagation of Light

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

33-3 Total Internal Reflection

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

The Nature of Light

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

The Nature of Light

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

The Nature of Light

Two Personalities of Light

Emission and Absorption of light

Only certain frequencies of light are emitted.5

The Nature of Light

Two Personalities of Light

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

The Nature of Light

Waves, Wavefronts and Rays

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

The Nature of Light

an imaginary line along the

path of the particle

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

The Nature of Light

an imaginary line along the

path of the particle

What is an isotropic medium?

33-3 Total Internal Reflection

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

Incident, Reflected and Refracted (Transmitted) Rays

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

Index of Refraction n of a material

v: speed of light in the material

n: index of refraction of the material

Light travels more slowly in a material than in vacuum.

Reflection and Refraction

Reflection and Refraction

Reflection and Refraction

Reflection and Refraction

Reflection and Refraction

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

: wavelength of light in a material

The wavelength of light (wave) is different in

The frequency f of light (wave) does not change

Reflection and Refraction

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

1. snells with angle of

Physics 72 Bareza AY 15-16 1st sem

Reflection and Refraction

33-3 Total Internal Reflection