Physics 2025: Optics 1 - Activities with Light Rays Purpose of this Minilab Apply the basics of ray tracing to learn about reflection and refraction of.

$Page 1: Physics 2025: Optics 1 - Activities with Light Rays Purpose of this Minilab Apply the basics of ray tracing to learn about reflection and refraction of.$
Physics 2025: Optics 1 - Activities with Light Rays

Purpose of this Minilab

• Apply the basics of ray tracing to learn about reflection and refraction of light.


Activity 1: Light Reflection at Plane Surfaces

i r

t

ni

nt

Index of refractionof the two materials

Angle of incidence Angle of reflection

Angle of transmission (refraction)


ir Law of Reflection:

Snell’s Law of Refraction: ttii nn sinsin

Incident, reflected, and transmitted ray lie in one plane.

…..the laws….

Verify the law of reflection using a plane mirror.

Verify your homework result on a 90 plane mirror.


Checking the law of reflection with a plane mirror

0

45

45

90

90

135

180

135

Light Source

Polar graphpaper

Qi

Qr

Mirror


Measuring refraction

0

45

45

90

90

135

180

135

Light Source

Polar graphpaper

Qi

Qt

Semicircularlens

Light musthit the centerof the flat side

Use Snell’slaw to determinenplastic.

nplastic


Measuring angle of total internal reflection

0

45

45

90

90

135

180

135

Light Source

Polar graphpaper

Qcrit

Semicircularlens

Light musthit the centerof the flat side


Snell’s Law for Critical Angle

90sinsin aircriticalplastic nn

criticalplasticn

sin

1

=1


Light beam displacement by plane parallel plate

Light Source

Q

Q’

dt


0

45

45

90

90

135

180

135

Polar graphpaper


Light Source

Q

Q’

d• Trace light ray on polar graph paper.• Outline location of rectangular plastic on paper.• Measure angles Q and Q’.• Measure widths d and t.

t

Let the beam hit therectangle in centerof the polar paper



'cos

cos1sinn

td

• Use one incident angle Q (and corresponding Q‘ and d and t) calculate n.

• Use this calculated n to predict the displacement d for a different incident angle. (Hint: You will also need to use Snell’s Law for this calculation.)

• Verify experimentally d for the new angle.


Activity 2: Reflection and Refraction at Spherical Surfaces

Getting the radius R of a concave mirror

R

D

x

x

DxR

42

1 2

Concave mirror, reflecting side here.


180

Polar graphpaper

Alternative method to get R …..

R0

45

45

90

90

135

135

Move mirror untilcurvature matchesthe curvature onpolar graph paper.then measure Ras shown.


Finding the focal point of the concave mirror

Regular graph paper: Trace the rays and determine f.

Light Source

parallel rays

f


Finding the focal point of the convex mirror


Light Source

parallel rays

f

Extend the light rays backward to where they seem to come from.

Virtual image(isn’t reallythere).


Imaging with the convex mirror


P

Light Source

Semicircular lens

Here is ourobject point

S


Thin Lens Equation (how to calculate focal length from the radii of a lens and it’s index of refraction)

21

111

1

RRn

f

Each lens has two interface with the air (#1 and #2).Interface #1 is the one that is encountered by the light when entering the lens.Interface #2 is the one that is encountered by the light when exiting the lens.

Interface #1 hasradius R1.

Interface #2 hasradius R2.


Thin Lens Equation (how to calculate focal length from the radii of a lens and it’s index of refraction)

21

111

1

RRn

f

Sign rules for R1:

R1 positive R1 negative

R2 negativeR2 positive


Example of using the lens equation

A double concave lens (concave on interface #1 and also on #2)with both radii being 5cm and the index of refraction n=1.65 :

R1 = - 5 cm and R2 = + 5 cm

cmcmcmcmRR

nf 5

25.1

5

)2(65.0

5

1

5

1165.1

111

1

21

cmf 4


The Imaging Equation for Lenses and Mirrors

fPS

111

S: Object DistanceP: Image Distancef: Focal Length

2

Rf For Mirrors: where R = Radius of Mirror

RPS

211


Sign Rules For Lenses and Mirrors

Convex Lens: +Concave Lens: -Convex Mirror: -Concave Mirror: +

f

Real objects: S is positiveVirtual objects: S is negative

Real images: P is positiveVirtual images: P is negative

Means: a positive number

Most objects are real.


Example of signs for f, S, and P

P

Light Source

S

Real object

Virtual image

positive negative

Convex mirror: f is negative


Using the Desk Lamp

Dimmer

Lamp Plug (black) must be pluggedinto dimmer plug.Dimmer plug (white) must be pluggedinto power outlet.

On/Offswitchof lamp

Physics 2025: Optics 1 - Activities with Light Rays Purpose of this Minilab Apply the basics of ray tracing to learn about reflection and refraction of.

Documents

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refraction of light

light rays14imaging

light rays13finding

light rays12finding

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light rays10activity

light rays3checking