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Lacemakers used water-filled glass spheres to concentrate or condense candlelight into small areas of their work in the early 1800s, making it easier to see fine details.
The glass sphere’s curved surface acts as a large collecting surface for light rays, which are then refracted toward a common focal point in the same way that a convex lens does. Modern microscopes and other optical instruments use condensing or collecting lenses to concentrate light, relying on the same principles of refraction as the early lacemaker’s condenser.
What is reflection of light?
Refraction is the bending of light as it passes through a transparent substance in simple terms. Waves of water, sound, and other types of waves are all affected. Because of this bending, which causes light refraction, magnifying glasses, prisms, lenses, and rainbows are all possible. Our eyes would be unable to focus if light refraction did not exist.
Refraction’s Key Characteristics
In the lens, eye, sound, water and focal length, refraction is crucial in forming an object’s image.
The bending of refraction can be visualised using Huygen’s principle.
The wavelength of light is shortened in a slower medium because the speed of light is reduced.
The speed of light in a medium is divided by the speed of light in a vacuum in the index of refraction.
The formula is n=c/v, where n is the index of refraction, c is the speed of light in vacuum and v is the speed of light in the medium.
At the point of incidence, the reflected ray, incident ray and normal to the interface of the two media all lie on the same plane.
The angle of refraction’s sine divided by the angle of incidence’s sine is a constant. Another name for this is Snell’s law of refraction.
Changes in speed result in changes in direction.
The refraction of light occurs whenever light passes through a substance with a different refractive index or optical density.
The change in speed is the reason for the change in direction. An example would be:
When light passes from air to water, it slows down and changes its angle or direction.
The quantity of bending in light refraction is primarily determined by two factors:
The angle at which light enters a substance –
When light enters a substance at a larger angle, the refraction of light is much greater and more visible to human eyes.
However, if light hits a material at a 90-degree angle, it will slow down rather than change direction.
Change in Speed
When a substance causes light to speed up or slow down as it passes through it, the refraction of light increases.
Different types of refraction
Refraction from a denser to a rarer medium: In this case, the refractive index is less than 1 and the angle of incidence is less than the angle of refraction, causing the refracted ray to shift 10 degrees away from the normal.
Consider the refraction of light from glass to air.
Refraction from a rarer to a denser medium: In this case, the angle of incidence is greater than the angle of refraction and the relative refractive index is greater than
As a result, the refracted ray tends to move closer to the normal. Refraction of light in water from the air, for example.
Refraction Effects and Examples
As previously stated, refraction can be observed in both optics and technology.
Some of the most common examples of light refraction in our daily lives are as follows:
Stars twinkle because of light refraction.
Mirage and looming are optical illusions caused by light refraction.
When straight light strikes the bottom of a swimming pool and bends at the water’s surface, causing refraction, the pool appears shallower.
Both the prism and the rainbow formation are great examples of refraction.
The Refraction of a Rainbow
Light Refraction Applications in a Rainbow Refraction in a Rainbow
Both optics and technology can benefit from refraction.
The type of spherical lens, whether convex or concave, does, however, have an impact.
For refraction, a lens is used to create an image similar to magnification.
Another example of refraction is VIBGYOR, which is when white light passes through a glass prism and is split into a rainbow of colours.
Mirage or the twinkling of stars, is an excellent example of atmospheric refraction.
Real-Life Examples of Light Refraction
Here are some examples from everyday life to help you better understand the phenomenon of light refraction:
The sun’s rays bend through raindrops to form a rainbow, which is considered one of the most perfect examples of refraction.
The phenomenon of light refraction causes the optical illusions of mirage and looming.
When white light passes through a glass prism, it splits into seven colour components due to refraction.
It was due to refraction, which occurs when light from the pool’s bottom bends at the surface, that the pool appears shallower than its actual depth.
In conclusion:-
The angle created by this situation is known as the deflection angle. The angle formed by the incident ray with the normal is known as the angle of incidence. All of these phenomena are referred to as refraction of light.
