Refraction in a Glass Slab


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Refraction in a Glass Slab

Refraction  of Light: 

It is a process of bending of light ray when passing from one medium to another.This bending of light depends not only on the  the refractive indices of the two media but also depends on the angle of incidence.

Refraction in a Glass Slab: 

Suppose a ray of light AB traveling through air  with refractive index (eta = 1 ) incident  at an large angle i_1 (angle of incidence) on the upper surface of a transparent rectangular slab. This ray gets refracted  by an large angle r_1 (angle of refraction) at the upper surface and moves along BC known as refracted ray.

 

As the ray of light travels from air (rarer medium) to the glass slab (denser medium) therefore it bends towards the normal which means thatlarge angle i_1> angle r_1 .

According to Snell's law

large frac{sin;i_1}{sin;r_1}=frac{eta_{glass}}{eta_{air}}                         .......[ I ]

When the refracted ray ,BC  reaches the lower surface SR,. is incident  at an large angle i_2 (angle of incidence) . This ray gets refracted  by an large angle r_2 (angle of refraction)  This refracted ray that comes out of the glass slab is known emergent ray.  In this case light ray travels from glass slab (denser medium) to the air (rarer medium) and bends away from the normal which means large angle r_2> angle i_2.

According to Snell's law

large frac{sin;i_2}{sin;r_2}=frac{eta_{air}}{eta_{glass}}                         .......[ II ]

The two surfaces PQ and RS are parallel to each other so the normal at the two surface are also parallel to each other. and BC is the transversal cutting them so

large angle r_1= angle i_2                      ................[ III ]  [Alternate angles]

From II and III we get

large frac{sin;r_1}{sin;r_2}=frac{eta_{air}}{eta_{glass}}

Taking the reciprocal we get

large frac{sin;r_2}{sin;r_1}=frac{eta_{glass}}{eta_{air}}                    .......[ IV ]

From Equation I and IV we get

large frac{sin;r_2}{sin;r_1}=frac{sin; i_1}{sin;r_1}

large Rightarrow sin;r_2=sin; i_1

large Rightarrow r_2= i_1

But they are corresponding angles, as they are equal so we can say that the incident ray is parallel to emergent ray but is laterally didsplaced.This lateral distance between the incident ray and emergent ray is known as lateral displacement. 

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Sample Questions
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Question : 1

A light ray makes an angle of reflection 60, when it reflects from a plane reflecting sheet. The angle of deviation will be __________________

Right Option : D
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Explanation
Question : 2

When a ray of light enters a glass slab from air

Right Option : D
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Explanation
Question : 3

In the case of glass slab the lateral displacement it depends on the following factors like .

 

Right Option : D
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Explanation
 
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