CBSE Class 10th Ch. 9 | Laws of Refraction and Refractive index |
CBSE Class 10th Ch. 9 | Laws of Refraction and Refractive index |
The ratio of sine of angle of incidence to the sine of angle of refraction is a constant, for the light of a given color and for the given pair of media. This law is also known as Snell's law of refraction. This constant is also called the refractive index of the second medium with respect to the first.
Refraction of Light is the phenomenon that involves the bending of light when it travels from medium to another. In refraction of light, a change in velocity of the light and direction of propagation occurs. When light travels through a substance with a different refractive index, refraction of light takes place.
The cause behind the change in direction is the change in speed.
Some natural phenomena of refraction of light in nature are the twinkling of stars, rainbows, the formation of mirages, optical illusions, and many more.
The Refractive index enables us to understand how fast light travels through a medium.
What is the Refractive Index?
A refractive index is a number that explains how fast light travels when passed through a material.
The Refractive index or the index of refraction gives the speed of light when it passes through a medium.
The refractive Index is dimensionless.
The Refractive index can be found by calculating the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum(c) to the ratio of the speed of light in a medium(v). It is denoted by µ.
Refractive Index µ = c/v
The light ray changes its direction depending on the refractive index of the medium, or it bends at the junction while separating the two media.
If the light ray travels from one medium to another with a higher refractive index, it bends towards the normal, else it bends away from the normal.
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