RAY OPTICS - I

1. Refraction of Light
2. Laws of Refraction
3. Principle of Reversibility of Light
4. Refraction through a Parallel Slab
5. Refraction through a Compound Slab
6. Apparent Depth of a Liquid
7. Total Internal Reflection
8. Refraction at Spherical Surfaces - Introduction
9. Assumptions and Sign Conventions
10. Refraction at Convex and Concave Surfaces
11. Lens Maker’s Formula
12. First and Second Principal Focus
13. Thin Lens Equation (Gaussian Form)
14. Linear Magnification
Created by C. Mani, Principal, K V No.1, AFS, Jalahalli West, Bangalore
Refraction of Light:
Refraction is the phenomenon of change in the path of light as it travels
from one medium to another (when the ray of light is incident obliquely).
It can also be defined as the phenomenon of change in speed of light
from one medium to another.

Laws of Refraction: i Rarer

I Law: The incident ray, the normal to
the refracting surface at the point of N
incidence and the refracted ray all lie in r
Denser
the same plane. r
N μ
II Law: For a given pair of media and for
light of a given wavelength, the ratio of
the sine of the angle of incidence to the i Rarer
sine of the angle of refraction is a
constant. (Snell’s Law)
sin i (The constant μ is called refractive index of the medium,
μ=
sin r i is the angle of incidence and r is the angle of
refraction.)
 TIPS:
1. μ of optically rarer medium is lower and that of a denser medium is higher.
2. μ of denser medium w.r.t. rarer medium is more than 1 and that of rarer
medium w.r.t. denser medium is less than 1. (μair = μvacuum = 1)
3. In refraction, the velocity and wavelength of light change.
4. In refraction, the frequency and phase of light do not change.
5. aμm = ca / cm and aμm = λa / λm

Principle of Reversibility of Light:

sin i sin r i Rarer
aμb = bμa =
sin r sin i (a)

aμb x bμa = 1 or a μb = 1 / bμa Denser

r (b)
If a ray of light, after suffering any number of
reflections and/or refractions has its path N
reversed at any stage, it travels back to the μ
source along the same path in the opposite
direction.
A natural consequence of the principle of reversibility is that the image and object
positions can be interchanged. These positions are called conjugate positions.
Refraction through a Parallel Slab:
N
sin i1 sin i2 i1
aμb = bμa = Rarer (a)
sin r1 sin r2
But aμb x bμa = 1 N Denser
r1 δ (b)
sin i1 sin i2 t
x =1 i2
sin r1 sin r2 M
y μ
It implies that i1 = r2 and i2 = r1
since i1 ≠ r1 and i2 ≠ r2. r2
Rarer (a)
Lateral Shift:
t sin δ t sin(i1- r1)
y= or y=
cos r1 cos r1

Special Case:
If i1 is very small, then r1 is also very small.
i.e. sin(i1 – r1) = i1 –
r1 and cos r1 = 1
y = t (i1 – r1) or y = t i1(1 – 1 /aμb)
Refraction through a Compound Slab:
sin i1
a μb = N μa
sin r1 i1
Rarer (a)
sin r1
μc =
b
sin r2 N Denser
r1 (b)
sin r2 r1
cμa =
sin i1 μb

a μb x bμc x cμa = 1 Denser

N
(c) r2
or μb x bμc = aμc r2
a

μc
or b μc = aμc / aμb
Rarer (a)
i1

μc > μb
Apparent Depth of a Liquid: N
sin i sin r
bμa = or aμb =
sin r sin i
Rarer (a)
hr Real depth μa
aμb = = r
ha Apparent depth

Apparent Depth of a Number of

Immiscible Liquids: ha r i
n hr μb
ha = ∑ hi / μi O’
i=1
i
Denser (b)
Apparent Shift: O
Apparent shift = hr - ha = hr – (hr / μ)

TIPS: = hr [ 1 - 1/μ]

1. If the observer is in rarer medium and the object is in denser medium then
ha < hr. (To a bird, the fish appears to be nearer than actual depth.)
2. If the observer is in denser medium and the object is in rarer medium then
ha > hr. (To a fish, the bird appears to be farther than actual height.)
Total Internal Reflection:
Total Internal Reflection (TIR) is the phenomenon of complete reflection of
light back into the same medium for angles of incidence greater than the
critical angle of that medium.
N N N N

Rarer μa
r = 90° (air)

ic i > ic i

Denser μg
O (glass)

Conditions for TIR:

1. The incident ray must be in optically denser medium.
2. The angle of incidence in the denser medium must be greater than the
critical angle for the pair of media in contact.
Relation between Critical Angle and Refractive Index:
Critical angle is the angle of incidence in the denser medium for which the
angle of refraction in the rarer medium is 90°.
sin i sin ic
μa =
g
= = sin ic
sin r sin 90°

1 1 1 λg
or aμg = μg = or sin ic = Also sin ic =
gμa
a
sin ic aμg
λa

Red colour has maximum value of critical angle and Violet colour has
minimum value of critical angle since,

1 1 Applications of T I R:
sin ic = =
a μg a + (b/ λ2) 1. Mirage formation
2. Looming
3. Totally reflecting Prisms
4. Optical Fibres
5. Sparkling of Diamonds
Spherical Refracting Surfaces:
A spherical refracting surface is a part of a sphere of refracting material.
A refracting surface which is convex towards the rarer medium is called
convex refracting surface.
A refracting surface which is concave towards the rarer medium is
called concave refracting surface.

Rarer Medium Denser Medium Rarer Medium Denser Medium

A
P
• • B B • •P A
C C
R R

APCB – Principal Axis

C – Centre of Curvature
P – Pole
R – Radius of Curvature
Assumptions:
1. Object is the point object lying on the principal axis.
2. The incident and the refracted rays make small angles with the principal
axis.
3. The aperture (diameter of the curved surface) is small.

New Cartesian Sign Conventions:

1. The incident ray is taken from left to right.
2. All the distances are measured from the pole of the refracting surface.
3. The distances measured along the direction of the incident ray are
taken positive and against the incident ray are taken negative.
4. The vertical distances measured from principal axis in the upward
direction are taken positive and in the downward direction are taken
negative.
Refraction at Convex Surface:
(From Rarer Medium to Denser Medium - Real Image)
N
i=α+γ
A
γ=r+β or r=γ-β i

MA MA r
tan α = or α = α γ β
MO MO • P
• •C •
O M R I
MA MA
tan β = or β = u v
MI MI μ1 μ2
Rarer Medium Denser Medium
MA MA
tan γ = or γ =
MC MC
According to Snell’s law,
sin i μ2 i μ2
= or = or μ1 i = μ2 r
sin r μ1 r μ1
Substituting for i, r, α, β and γ, replacing M by P and rearranging,
μ1 μ2 μ2 - μ 1 Applying sign conventions with values,
+ = PO = - u, PI = + v and PC = + R
PO PI PC
μ1 μ2 μ2 - μ1
+ =
-u v R
Refraction at Convex Surface:
(From Rarer Medium to Denser Medium - Virtual
N
Image)
A
i r
μ1 μ2 μ2 - μ1 β α γ
+ = • • • •
-u v R I O uP M R C
v
μ1 μ2
Rarer Medium Denser Medium
Refraction at Concave Surface:
(From Rarer Medium to Denser Medium - Virtual N
Image) r
A

μ1 μ2 μ2 - μ1 i
= α γ
+ • • β• R
•
M P
-u v R O I C
u
μ1 v μ2
Rarer Medium Denser Medium
Refraction at Convex Surface:
(From Denser Medium to Rarer Medium -
N
Real Image)
A
r

μ2 μ1 μ1 - μ 2 i
α γ β
+ = • C
• •
M P
•
-u v R O R I
u v
Denser Medium μ2 Rarer Medium μ1
Refraction at Convex Surface:
(From Denser Medium to Rarer Medium - Virtual
Image)
μ2 μ1 μ1 - μ 2
+ =
-u v R

Refraction at Concave Surface:

(From Denser Medium to Rarer Medium -
Virtual Image)
μ2 μ1 μ1 - μ 2
+ =
-u v R
Note:
1. Expression for ‘object in rarer medium’ is same for whether it is real or
virtual image or convex or concave surface.
μ1 μ2 μ2 - μ 1
+ =
-u v R

2. Expression for ‘object in denser medium’ is same for whether it is real or

virtual image or convex or concave surface.

μ2 μ1 μ1 - μ2
+ =
-u v R

3. However the values of u, v, R, etc. must be taken with proper sign

conventions while solving the numerical problems.

4. The refractive indices μ1 and μ2 get interchanged in the expressions.

Lens Maker’s Formula:
For refraction at
L
LP1N,
μ1 μ1
μ1 μ2 μ2 - μ1 N1 N2
+ = A
CO CI1 CC1 i
(as if the image is
formed in the denser • • P1
• C •P • • •
medium) O C2 2 I C1 I1

For refraction at R2 R1
μ2
LP2N,
μ2 μ1 -(μ1 - μ2) u v
+ =
-CI1 CI CC2 N
(as if the object is in the denser medium and the image is formed in the rarer
medium)
Combining the refractions at both the surfaces, Substituting the values
μ1 μ1 with sign conventions,
1 1
+ = (μ2 - μ1)( + )
CO CI CC1 CC2 1 1 (μ - μ ) 1 1
+ = 2 1 ( - )
-u v μ 1 R1 R2
 Since μ2 / μ1 = μ

1 1 μ2 1 1
+ =( - 1) ( - )
-u v μ1 R1 R2

or
1 1 1 1
+ = (μ – 1) ( - )
-u v R1 R2

When the object is kept at infinity, the image is formed at the principal focus.
i.e. u = - ∞, v = + f.
1 1 1
So, = (μ – 1) ( - )
f R1 R2

This equation is called ‘Lens Maker’s Formula’.

1 1 1
Also, from the above equations we get, + =
-u v f
First Principal Focus:
First Principal Focus is the point on the principal axis of the lens at which if
an object is placed, the image would be formed at infinity.

F1
F1

f1 f1

Second Principal Focus:

Second Principal Focus is the point on the principal axis of the lens at
which the image is formed when the object is kept at infinity.

F2
F2

f2 f2
Thin Lens Formula (Gaussian Form of Lens Equation):
For Convex Lens:
A
M

2F1 F1 F2 2F2 B’
• • •
C
• •
B

u v
R f
Triangles ABC and A’B’C are similar. CB’ B’F2
=
CB CF2 A’
A’B’ CB’
=
AB CB CB’ CB’ - CF2
=
Triangles MCF2 and A’B’F2 are similar. CB CF2
According to new Cartesian sign
A’B’ B’F2 conventions,
=
MC CF2 CB = - u, CB’ = + v and CF2 = + f.
A’B’ B’F2
or = 1 1 1
AB CF2 - =
v u f
Linear Magnification:
Linear magnification produced by a lens is defined as the ratio of the size of
the image to the size of the object.
I
m =
O Magnification in terms of v and f:
A’B’ CB’
= f-v
AB CB m =
f
According to new Cartesian sign
conventions,
Magnification in terms of u and f:
A’B’ = + I, AB = - O, CB’ = + v and
CB = - u.
f
m =
+I +v I v f-u
= or m= =
-O -u O u

Power of a Lens:
Power of a lens is its ability to bend a ray of light falling on it and is reciprocal
of its focal length. When f is in metre, power is measured in Dioptre (D).
1
P =
f End of Ray Optics - I