Theories of Light
Theories of Light
Theories of Light
the velocity of light in rarer medium but this is proved wrong later
3) This theory assumes that the source of light looses the mass as it emits
corpuscles; but not such determent in mass of the source of light is detected.
4) This theory proposes that velocity of the corpuscles increases as the temperature
of the source increases as the temperature increases experiments have proved that
the velocity of light is independent of temperature.
In 1873, Maxwell suggested that light propagates as electric and magnetic field
oscillations. These are called electromagnetic waves which require no medium for
their propagation. Also, these waves are transverse in nature
A variable electric field generates a variable magnetic field around it and the
propagation of the wave is perpendicular to both of them.
wave-front is the tangential surface to all of these secondary wavelets. each point
of the wavefront is the source of the secondary wavelets, it spreads out in all
directions with the speed of a wave. every point the primary wave front behaves
like a secondary source and propagates the light in the forward direction.
Wave front is the locus of all the points that are in the same phase. The wave front
from a point source is spherical in nature where as the wave front from the
cylindrical source is cylindrical in nature. As we move far away from the point
source, the radius of the spherical wave front increases to a larger value so that it
appears like a plane wave front.
Let us consider a point source at a particular position. Light starts from the source
and it travels in all directions simultaneously with the same velocity. After a
specified time, the distance traveled by the light is same in all directions from the
source. The line joining of all the points is called a wave front. Every point on this
primary wave front behaves as if like it is a source. Thus each point again
propagates the light in the forward direction.
Basing on this concept reflection and refraction are explained successfully. When
the light is reflecting, angle of incidence is equal to angle of reflection. When the
light is refracting, it obeys a law called Snell’s law.
According to Snell’s law, the refractive index of the medium to where the light is
going with respect to refractive index of the medium from where it is coming is
equal to ratio of sin angle of incidence to the sin angle of refraction.
As the light Ray is moving from rarer medium to denser medium, it moves towards
the normal. The second light Ray travels more distance to reach the boundary that
is separating the two media.
Huygens’s principle proved the following concepts
1) Refraction: In addition to a constant relationship between the sine of the angle
of incidence and the sine of the angle of refraction, the refracted ray lies in the
plane which contains the incident rays and normal at the point of incidence.
2)Reflection: In the same plane as the incident ray, reflected ray and normal at the
point of incidence, the reflected ray must be shown to lie within the plane formed
by the incident ray and normal at the point of incidence.
A reflection’s angle of reflection will always equal its angle of incidence.
3)Diffraction and interference of light: All waves exhibit the phenomenon of
diffraction. Diffraction occurs when waves encounter obstacles and bend around
them. Additionally, waves may interfere both constructively and destructively,
producing different wave patterns.
Demerits of Huygens’s principle
Concepts like emission of light, absorption of light and polarization of light were
not explained by Huygens principle.
Huygens principle failed to explain the photoelectric effect.
A serious drawback is that the theory proposes an all-pervading medium required
to propagate light called luminiferous ether. This was proved to be false in the 20th
century.
Derivation of law of reflection
The law of reflection defines that upon reflection from a smooth surface, the angle
of the reflected ray is equal to the angle of the incident ray, with respect to the
normal to the surface that is to a line perpendicular to the surface at the point of
contact.
θr=θi
The reflected ray is always in the plane defined by the incident ray and the normal
to the surface at the point of contact of the incident ray.
The principle when the light rays fall on the smooth surface, the angle of reflection
is equal to the angle of incidence, also the incident ray, the reflected ray, and the
normal to the surface all lie in the same plane.
Regular Reflection:
The plane mirrors with a smooth surface produce this type of reflection. In this
case, the image is clear and very much visible.
Irregular Reflection:
Unlike mirrors, most natural surfaces are rough on the scale of the wavelength of
light, and, as a consequence, parallel incident light rays are reflected in many
different directions irregularly, or diffusely.
The laws of refraction state that the angle of incidence is the angle between the
incident ray and the normal and the angle of refraction is the angle between
the refracted ray and the normal.
Snell’s law formula is derived from Fermat’s principle. Fermat’s principle states
that “light travels in the shortest path that takes the least time”.