CHAPTER 33: THE NATURE AND

PROPAGATION OF LIGHT

33.1 The Nature of Light

Use the concept of wavefront and rays to describe
wave propagation

Ancient Greeks: Light is a Particle

17th Century: Light is a Wave

17th Century: Light is a Particle

Early 19th Century: Light is a Wave

Late 19th Century: Light is a Wave

Early 20th Century: Light is a Particle

The Two Personalities of Light

Light: Particle-Wave Duality
Wave nature of light

appropriate when discussing the propagation of light

Interference, Diffraction
Wavefronts

Wave model

Particle nature of light

appropriate when discussing the interaction of
light with matter
Absorption, Emission
Particle approach
Rays, Photons

Waves, Wave Fronts, Rays

Wave front
used to describe wave propagation
leading edge of the wave
Locus of all adjacent points at which
the phase of vibration of a physical
quantity associated with the wave is
the same
wave fronts are represented as
spherical surfaces concentric with
the source
Far from the source, the wave
fronts are planar

Waves, Wave Fronts, Rays

Rays
Give the direction of propagation
Imaginary line along the direction of
travel of the wave
Lines perpendicular to the wave fronts
In homogenous, isotropic medium, rays
are straight lines normal to the wave
front
At a boundary surface between two
materials, direction of the ray may
change
Geometric optics

Wavefronts and Rays

Light Phenomenon

Reflection
Refraction
Total internal reflection
Dispersion
Polarization
Scattering

33.2 Reflection and Refraction

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

Reflection and Refraction

Light can be partially REFLECTED and partially

REFRACTED (transmitted) at an interface between
two media (i.e. materials) with different indices of
refraction.
the directions of the incident,
reflected and refracted (transmitted)
rays at smooth interface between
two optical materials is described in
terms of the angles they make with
the NORMAL (perpendicular) to the
surface at the point of incidence

Reflection

Types of Reflection:
1.

Specular Reflection- refection at a definite angle

from a very smooth surface

2.

Diffuse Reflection- scattered reflection from a

rough surface

Recall: Index of refraction

c
n
v

Dimensionless
Light always travels more slowly in a material than in
vacuum.
n>1
n, v

Laws of Reflection and

Refraction

Law of Reflection

Law of reflection

incident

reflected

True even for diffuse

reflection!

Law of Refraction / Snells law

Named after Willebrord

Snell
Law of refraction

na sin a nb sin b

n2 > n1

Experimental observations
but can be derived from
Maxwells equations

Law of Refraction / Snells law

na sin a nb sin b

Case 1: nb > na

Law of Refraction / Snells law

na sin a nb sin b

Case 2: nb < na

Law of Refraction / Snells law

na sin a nb sin b

Case 3: incident is along the normal

Snells Law in Real Life

Snells Law in Real Life

Snells Law in Real Life

Index of Refraction and Wave Aspects of Light

Upon moving from one material to another,

Frequency does not change

f fo

Wavelength decreases
c
v
f

o
n

Problem Solving strategies

Make a drawing
Angles with respect to normal
Geometry and trigonometry
Frequency of light does not change

EXAMPLE 33.1: Mirrors

Reflection. Two plane mirrors with the same length L intersect at right angles. A
light strikes the first of them at L/2. Find x.

i refl 30
L/2
tan refl
x
L
x

2 tan(30 )
3L
x
2

30o

EXAMPLE 33.2: Reflected and Refracted Ray

Light passes from a material with index of refraction 1.2 into one with
index of refraction 1.4. Compared to the incident ray, the refracted
ray ___________.
A.is undeflected.

B.travels at a faster speed.

C.bends toward the normal.

D.bends away from the normal.

E.bends parallel to the surface.

EXAMPLE 33.3: Index of Refraction

A ray of monochromatic (single-color) light in air falls on the upper
surface of two transparent parallel-sided slabs of different indices of
refraction. What is the index of refraction of the lower slab?
A.6
B.3
C.2
D.(3)/2

45o

nb

Red: (1) sin(60) na sin(45)

Blue: na sin(45) nb sin(30)

(1) sin(60) nb sin(30)

nair =1
na

3
1
nb
2
2

SW20
1.

2.

33.3 Total Internal Reflection

Given the indices of refraction of different materials,
determine when total internal reflection occurs

33.3 Total Internal Reflection

Only occurs when na > nb

Critical Angle
the refracted ray emerges
tangent to the surface
the angle of incidence for
which the angle of
refraction is 90

na sin c nb sin 90
nb
c sin
na
1

Conditions for Total Internal Reflection

TIR Around Us Fiber Optics

EXAMPLE 33.4 TIR

Yellow sodium light is incident on an aquarium (nwater=1.33) from air
(nair=1). At what condition will total internal reflection occur?
A.TIR will never occur
B. i >

sin-1(1.33/1.00)

C. i < sin-1(1.33/1.00)
D. i > sin-1(1.00/1.33)
E. i < sin-1(1.00/1.33)

TIR only happens

when n1 > n2

EXAMPLE 33.5: Critical Angle

A light source is at the bottom of a pool with index of refraction equal
to 2. At what minimum angle of incidence will a ray travel at the
liquid-air interface?

A. 0o
B. 30o

C. 45o
D. 60o

E. 90o

nair
1

1
sin
c sin

n
2
pool
1

33.4 Dispersion
Relate dispersion to the color separation of white light as it
travel through a prism at non-normal incidence

Deduce the speed of light in a medium from its dispersion

curve

33.4 Dispersion

Dispersion - is the dependence of wave speed and index

of refraction on wavelength.
Ordinary white light is a superposition of waves with
wavelengths extending throughout the visible spectrum
can be separated into its different colors by dispersion.

Dispersion Curve

Variation of index of
refraction with the
wavelength for different
transparent materials
n decreases with
increasing
light of longer wavelength
has greater speed than
light of shorter
wavelength

Dispersion of Light by a Prism

When white light is incident on a prism, the light is said to be

dispersed into a spectrum.

Violet light is deviated most and red is deviated least.

The deviation (change of direction) produced by the prism increases
with increasing index of refraction and frequency and decreasing
wavelength.
The amount of dispersion depends on the difference between the
refractive indexes for violet light and for red light.

Rainbows

Combined effect of dispersion, refraction and reflection

Example 33.6: Red and Violet

A beam of light strikes a sheet of glass at an angle of 60.0o with the normal
in air. You observe that red light makes an angle of 45.0o with the normal in
the glass, while violet light makes a 30.0o angle.
(a) What are the indices of refraction of this glass for these colors of light?
(b) What are the speeds of red and violet light in the glass?

nair sin 60 nred sin 45

nair sin 60 nviolet sin 30
c
v
n

vred

nred

3
; nviolet 3
2

2
3
10 8 m / s; vviolet 3 10 8 m / s
3

33.5 Polarization
Identify the different types of polarization and the different
methods of polarizing light
Determine the polarizing angle given the indices of
refraction of the incidence and transmission side
Use Malus Law to calculate the intensity of the
transmitted light after passing through a series of
polarizers

33.5 Polarization

An EM wave is a transverse wave.

Polarization is a characteristic of all transverse waves.

We always define the direction of polarization of an

EM wave to be the direction of the E-field vector.

Types of Polarized Light

Linearly Polarized
E oscillates along a line
Circularly polarized
E traces a circle
Amplitude is constant

Types of Polarized Light

Right Circularly polarized

E oscillations are perpendicular
Equal amplitudes
Equal wavelengths
Phase difference of 2 EM waves are -90o

Types of Polarized Light

Left Circularly polarized

E oscillations are perpendicular
Equal amplitudes
Equal wavelengths
Phase difference of 2 EM waves are +90o

Types of Polarized Light

Elliptical
E oscillations are
perpendicular
Unequal amplitudes
Equal wavelengths
Phase difference of 2 EM
waves are not a multiple of
90o

Visible Light

Unpolarized
E are random
Typical Light sources
Sunlight
Light bulb

Polarizing Filters

For microwaves, wire grid polarizers can be used

Polarizing Filters

Visible Light Polaroid filter

Dichroism selective
absorption where one of the
polarized components is
absorbed more strongly than
other components
almost 100% of light polarized
parallel to the polarizing axis
passes through

Using Polarizing Filters

An ideal polarizing filter passes 100% of the incident light that

is polarized in the direction of the filter's polarizing axis but
completely blocks all light that is polarized perpendicular to
this axis.
The intensity of unpolarized light passing through a polarizing
filter is exactly of the original intensity

What happens when the linearly polarized light emerging

from a polarizer passes through a second polarizer?

Intensity changes depending on the polarization direction

The intensity is given by Malus law:

I I max cos
2

EXAMPLE 33.7: Two Polarizers

Unpolarized light of intensity Io is incident on a series of 2 polarizers P1
and P2 with polarizing axes as shown. What is the intensity of the
transmitted light after the 2nd polarizer?

I= Io

=90

I=Zero

EXAMPLE 33.8: Three Polarizers

Unpolarized light of intensity Io is incident on a series of 2 polarizers
with polarizing axes as shown. What is the intensity of the
transmitted light after P3?

1/8 Io

Io

1/4 Io

P2

P3

1
21
I I 0 cos
I (45
I 0 )cos 2 (45 )
2
4

Polarization by Reflection
Unpolarized light can be polarized, either partially or totally, by reflection

Brewsters Law for the Polarizing Angle

nb
tan p
na

EXAMPLE 33.9: Ngayon pa lang

A light from material a with index of refraction na=2 is
polarized by reection as it hits material b. The incident
light ray makes an angle equal to 60 with respect to the
vertical as shown. What is the index of refraction of
material b?

nb
tan p
na

nb na tan p 2tan60
nb 2 3

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 33
Light and its properties
particle-wave duality
wave front and rays

0
n

c
v

Reflection and Refraction

incident

reflected na sin a nb sin b

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 33
Total Internal Reflection
na > nb
inc crit
crit

nb
sin
na
1

Polarization of Light
Malus Law

I I max cos
2

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 33
Polarization by Reflection
Brewsters Law

nb
tan p
na

PS11: Chapter 33 Exercises 33.1, 33.9, 33.21, 33.25, 33.31

Due: May 6, 2016 (Friday)

SW 21
1. n. A ray of light is traveling in a glass cube that is totally immersed
in water (nwater=4/3). You find that if the ray is incident on the glasswater interface at an angle to the normal larger than 45, no light is
refracted into the water. What is the refractive index of the glass?

2. Para mataas. Green and red lasers simultaneously

enter dense flint, whose dispersion curve is shown in
the figure. The locations of the relative values of the
green and red wavelengths are also shown. Which of
the following statements is true?
A. Green light is faster than red light in dense flint.
B. Green light is slower than red light in dense flint.
C. Green light is always faster than red light.
D. Green light is always slower than red light.