5.2- MORE ABOUT REFRACTION Flashcards
Why does refraction occur?
speed of light waves different in each substance
What does the amount of refraction that takes place depend on?
speed of waves in each substance
equation for refractive index of substance?
n(small s) = c / c(small s)
What does the equation n(small s) = c / c(small s) show?
smaller the speed of light in a substance, greater is the refractive index of substance
Does the frequency of the wave change when refraction occurs?
no
As the frequency of the wave does not change when refraction occurs, what follows?
n(small s) = c / c(small s) = λ / λ(small s)
Equation for Snell’s law
n1sinθ1 = n2sinθ2
θ1 = i θ2 = r
Equation for refractive index when light ray passes from vacuum into transparent substance?
sinθ1 / sinθ2 = n
What is the refractive index of air?
1
What can be used to split a beam of white light from a filament lamp into the colour of spectrum?
glass prism
Why does the glass prism split white light into colours of spectrum?
white light composed of light with continuous range of wavelengths, from red at about 650nm to violet at about 350nm
How does the glass prism refract the white light?
refracts light by different amounts depending on its wavelength
What happens to refraction the shorter the wavelength in air?
shorter the wavelength in air, the greater the amount of refraction
What happens to the white light as the prism refracts light depending on wavelength?
each colour in white light beam refracted by different amount
Why does the dispersive effect occur in the glass prism?
speed of light in glass depends on wavelength
