3/9/2017 TheDirectionofBending

TheDirectionofBending
BoundaryBehavior
RefractionandSight
TheCauseofRefraction
OpticalDensityandLightSpeed
TheDirectionofBending
IfIWereanArcherFish

Refractionisthebendingofthepathofalightwaveasitpassesfromonematerialintoanother
material.Therefractionoccursattheboundaryandiscausedbyachangeinthespeedofthelight
waveuponcrossingtheboundary.Thetendencyofarayoflighttobendonedirectionoranotheris
dependentuponwhetherthelightwavespeedsuporslowsdownuponcrossingtheboundary.The
speedofalightwaveisdependentupontheopticaldensityofthematerialthroughwhichitmoves.For
thisreason,thedirectionthatthepathofalightwavebendsdependsonwhetherthelightwaveis
travelingfromamoredense(slow)mediumtoalessdense(fast)mediumorfromalessdensemedium
toamoredensemedium.InthispartofLesson1,wewillinvestigatethistopicofthedirectionof
bendingofalightwave.

PredictingtheDirectionofBending
RecalltheMarchingSoldiersanalogydiscussedearlierinthislesson.Theanalogyservedasamodelfor
understandingtheboundarybehavioroflightwaves.Asdiscussed,theanalogyisoftenillustratedina
Physicsclassroombyastudentdemonstration.Inthedemonstration,alineofstudents(representinga
lightwave)marchestowardsamaskingtape(representingtheboundary)andslowsdownupon
crossingtheboundary(representativeofenteringanewmedium).Thedirectionofthelineofstudents
changesuponcrossingtheboundary.Thediagrambelowdepictsthischangeindirectionforalineof
studentswhoslowdownuponcrossingtheboundary.

Onthediagram,thedirectionofthestudentsisrepresentedbytwoarrowsknownasrays.The
directionofthestudentsastheyapproachtheboundaryisrepresentedbyanincidentray(drawnin
blue).Andthedirectionofthestudentsaftertheycrosstheboundaryisrepresentedbyarefracted
ray(drawninred).Sincethestudentschangedirection(i.e.,refract),theincidentrayandtherefracted
raydonotpointinthesamedirection.Also,notethataperpendicularlineisdrawntotheboundaryat
thepointwheretheincidentraystrikestheboundary(i.e.,maskingtape).Alinedrawnperpendicularto
theboundaryatthepointofincidenceisknownasanormalline.Observethattherefractedraylies
closertothenormallinethantheincidentraydoes.Insuchaninstanceasthis,wewouldsaythatthe
pathofthestudentshasbenttowardsthenormal.Wecanextendthisanalogytolightandconclude
that:
LightTravelingfromaFasttoaSlowMedium
Ifarayoflightpassesacrosstheboundaryfromamaterialinwhichittravelsfastintoa
materialinwhichtravelsslower,thenthelightraywillbendtowardsthenormalline.
Theaboveprincipleappliestolightpassingfromamaterialinwhichittravelsfastacrossaboundary
andintoamaterialinwhichittravelsslowly.Butwhatiflightwavedoestheopposite?Whatifalight
wavepassesfromamaterialinwhichittravelsslowlyacrossaboundaryandintoamaterialinwhichit
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travelsfast?TheanswertothisquestioncanbeansweredifwereconsidertheMarchingSoldier
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analogy.Nowsupposethattheeachindividualstudentinthetrainofstudentsspeedsuponcethey
crossthemaskingtape.Thefirststudenttoreachtheboundarywillspeedupand pullahead
ofthe
otherstudents.Whenthesecondstudentreachestheboundary,he/shewillalsospeedupand pull
ahead oftheotherstudentswhohavenotyetreachedtheboundary.Thiscontinuesforeach
consecutivestudent,causingthelineofstudentstonowbetravelinginadirectionfurtherfromthe
normal.Thisisdepictedinthediagrambelow.

Fromthisanalogyandthediagramabove,weseethattherefractedray(inred)isfurtherawayfrom
thenormalthentheincidentray(inblue).Insuchaninstanceasthis,wewouldsaythatthepathofthe
studentshasbentawayfromthenormal.Wecanoncemoreextendthisanalogytolightand
concludethat:
LightTravelingfromaSlowtoaFastMedium
Ifarayoflightpassesacrosstheboundaryfromamaterialinwhichittravelsslowlyintoa
materialinwhichtravelsfaster,thenthelightraywillbendawayfromthenormalline.

TheTractorAnalogy
Nowletsconsideranotheranalogytoassistinourunderstandingofthese
twoimportantprinciples.Supposethatatractorismovingacrossanasphalt
surfacetowardsarectangularplotofgrass(asshowninthediagramatthe
right).Uponenteringthegrass,thetractors'wheelswillsinkintothesurface
andslowdown.Uponexitingtheplotofgrassontheoppositeside,the
tractorwheelswillspeedupandachievetheiroriginalspeed.Ineffect,this
analogywouldberepresentativeofalightwavecrossingtwoboundaries.At
thefirstboundary(theasphalttograssboundary),thelightwave(orthe
tractor)wouldbeslowingdownandatthesecondboundary(thegrassto
asphaltboundary),thelightwave(orthetractor)wouldbespeedingup.We
canapplyourtwoimportantprincipleslistedaboveandpredictthedirection
ofbendingandthepathofthetractorasittravelsthroughtherectangular
plotofgrass.Asindicatedonthediagram,uponenteringthegrass,the
wheelsslowdownandthepathofthetractorbendstowardsthenormal
(perpendicularlinedrawntothesurface).Uponexitingtheplotofgrass,the
wheelsspeedupandthepathofthetractorbendsawayfromthenormal.Thepathofthetractoris
closertothenormalintheslowermediumandfartherawayfromthenormalinthefastermedium.
Thisanalogycanbeextendedtothepathofalightwaveasitpassesfromairintoandoutofa
rectangularblockofglass.Sinceairislessopticallydensethanglass,thelightwavewillslowdown
uponenteringtheglassandspeedupwhenexitingtheglass.Inotherwords,thelightwavewillbe
undergoingthesamechangeinspeedasthetractorintheabovediagram.Forthisreason,thedirection
ofbendingforthelightwaveuponenteringandexitingtheglasswillbethesameasinthediagram
above.Thelightrayrefractstowardsthenormaluponenteringtheglass(crossingfromafasttoaslow
medium)andrefractsawayfromthenormaluponexitingtheglass(crossingfromaslowtoafast
medium).Thisisshowninthediagramattheright.
Thereisanimportantpointtobenotedinthesediagramsoftherectangularplotofgrassand
rectangularblockofglass.Noticethatthedirectionoftheoriginalincidentrayisthesameasthe
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directionofthefinalrefractedray.Putanotherway,thedirectionatwhichthelightistravelingwhen
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enteringtherectangularblockofglassisthesameasthedirectionthatthe
lighttravelsafterexitingtherectangularblockofglass.Thereisno
ultimatechangeinthedirectionthatthelightistraveling.Thissmalldetail
willonlybethecaseundertwoconditions:
thetwosidesoftheglassthroughwhichthelightentersandexitsare
paralleltoeachother
themediumsurroundingtheglassonthesidethroughwhichthelight
entersandexitsarethesame
Thesetwoconditionsaremetinthecaseofarectangularblockofglass
surroundedbyair.

Thediagramsbelowprovideacontrasttotherectangularplotofgrassand
therectangularblockofglass.Bothdiagramsinvolvetherefractionofa
tractororalightwaveasitpassesintoandoutofatriangularplotofgrass
andatriangularblockofglass.
Copythisdiagramontoasheetofpaperandapplyyourunderstandingofrefractionprinciplesto
predictthepathofthetractorandthelightwaveasittravelsthroughthetriangleshaped
obstacle.Drawthepathonyourseparatesheetofpaperandthenclickonthebuttonbelowtocheck
youranswer

SeeAnswer

LeastTimePrinciple
Anothermeansofapproachingthesubjectofthedirectionthatlightbendswhencrossingaboundary
betweentwomediaisthroughtheLeastTimePrinciple.ThisLeastTimePrincipleissometimesstated
asfollows:

LeastTimePrinciple
Ofallthepossiblepathsthatlightmighttaketogetfromonepointtoanother,italways
takesthepaththatrequirestheleastamountoftime.
Ausefulanalogytounderstandingtheprincipleinvolvesalifeguardwhohasbecomeawareofa
drowningswimmerinthewater.Inordertosavethedrowningswimmer,thelifeguardmustrun
throughthesand,crosstheboundarybetweenthesandandthewater,andthenswimthroughthe
watertothedrowningswimmer.Ofcourse,theguardmustreachtheswimmerinaslittletimeas
possible.Sincetheguardcanrunfasteronsandthanshecanswiminwater,itwouldmakesensethat
theguardcoversmoredistanceinthesandthanshedoesinthewater.Inotherwords,shewillnotrun
directlyatthedrowningswimmer.Theoptimalentrypointintothewateristhepointthatwouldallow
thelifeguardtoreachthedrowningswimmerintheleastamountoftime.Obviously,thispointwouldbe
atalocationclosertotheswimmerthantotheguard.Thediagrambelowdepictssuchanentrypoint.

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Observeinthediagram,thatminimizingthetimetoreachtheswimmermeansthatthelifeguardwill
approachtheboundaryata steep
angletothenormalandthenwillbendtowardsthenormalupon
crossingtheboundary.ThisanalogydemonstratesthattheLeastTimePrinciplewouldpredictthe
followingdirectionofbending:

Arayoflightwillbendtowardsthenormalwhencrossingtheboundaryfromamediumin
whichittravelsfastintoamediuminwhichittravelsslowly.

Thisistheverygeneralizationthatwasmadeearlieronthispage.

SomeUsefulMnemonics
Usingtheaboveprinciplesandlogictoexplainandpredictthedirectionthatlightrefractswhencrossing
aboundarywillbeamajorobjectiveofthisunit.Ratherthanmerelyrestatingtheprinciple,youwillbe
askedtoapplyittoavarietyofsituations(suchasthoseintheCheckYourUnderstandingsection
below).Partofaccomplishingthistaskwillinvolverememberingtheprinciples.Forthisreason,the
followingusefulmnemonicsareoffered.
FST=FasttoSlow,TowardsNormal
Ifarayoflightpassesacrosstheboundaryfromamaterialinwhichittravelsfastintoa
materialinwhichtravelsslower,thenthelightraywillbendtowardsthenormalline.

SFA=SlowtoFast,AwayFromNormal
Ifarayoflightpassesacrosstheboundaryfromamaterialinwhichittravelsslowintoa
materialinwhichtravelsfaster,thenthelightraywillbendawayfromthenormalline.
Amnemonicisatoolusedtohelponerememberanddifficulttorememberidea.Ofcourse,thereis
alwaystheriskthatthemnemonicwillbeforgotten.AndsinceFSTandSFAmightnotbethemost
easilyrememberedmnemonics,perhapsthefollowingodditywillhelp.YoucanrememberFST(fastto
slowtowards)bysimplythinkingaboutthoseFreakyScienceTeachersthatyouhavehadthrough
theyears.AndyoucanrememberSFAbythinkingaboutthedisgustinghabitofyourfriendSara(or
SusanorSammyorSamirorSomebody...)SarahFartsAlot.


FlickrPhysicsPhoto
Laserlightshownpassingthrougharectangularblockoflucite.Itbendstowardsthenormalasitenters
thelucite.Asitexitstheluciteintoair,itbendsawayfromthenormal.

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WeWouldLiketoSuggest...
Whyjustreadaboutitandwhenyoucouldbeinteractingwithit?
Interactthat'sexactlywhatyoudowhenyouuseoneofThePhysics
Classroom'sInteractives.Wewouldliketosuggestthatyoucombinethe
readingofthispagewiththeuseofourRefractionInteractiveor
ourLeastTimePrincipleInteractive.YoucanfindtheseinthePhysics
Interactivessectionofourwebsite.TheseInteractivesprovidethe
learneraninteractiveenivronmentforexploringtherefractionand/orreflectionoflightataboundary
betweentwomaterials.

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