Problem in optics(refraction of light).

Question

i've been thinking since a long time that y why light rays bend towards the normal

while passing from an optically rarer medium to a denser medium. y it does not happen tat it bend away from the normal while passing from optically rarer to denser medium?

i hope tat u've understood my question and u'll try to help me out.

Answer 1

You will be astonished to read if I say light has "intelligence". I say this because light always travels in such a way that it reaches from one point to the other in the shortest possible time. When light enters denser medium from a rearer medium, its speed decreases. If it bends towards the normal, it will have to travel lesser distance in denser medium before coming out from it which saves time. You might ask in that case why light does not travel normal to the interface as in that case the distance of travel will be the shortest. But in that case the distance in rearer medium will be more. It can be proved mathematically cosidering the speed of light in both mediums that the path followed by light is the least time consuming and even Snell's law can be arrived at from it.

Answer 2

Refraction happens when a ray of light travels a different medium which may cause them to bend in between the incident ray and emergent ray. This incident is caused by the speed that changes according to it's medium, and usually a ray of light incident at an acute angle to the normal bends towards the normal when it enters an optically denser medium, same thing like how a light ray bends away from the normal when it enters an optically less dense medium (e.g Glass to air)

Other then that the laws of refraction is:

1. The incident ray, the normal, and the refracted ray all lie in the same plane.

2. For two particular media, the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is constant

These factor impacts light speed to change in a different medium causing them to refract

I hope u can understand them and that it answers your question

Answer 3

Wel u know the answer but not able to accept it. See when a light ray travels from a denser medium to rarer medium it suddenly gains potential due to tremendous fall in friction(for photons). So it gains speed and moves further more towards the direction of itself. And vice versa .I think u should get it>