Refracting light

Science

Unit: Making images

Teacher Guidance

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This lesson includes additional materials

which can be downloaded from the lesson
page.
Outcome

I can describe and draw how a ray of light refracts when it

moves from one medium to another, and explain how
refraction can cause virtual images.
Keywords

transmitted when light moves into and through a

new medium

medium the material that light is travelling through

refraction when light changes direction when it enters a

new medium

normal a line drawn at 90° to the surface of a material

virtual a representation of an object seen where light appears to

image be coming from, not where light actually comes from
Lesson outline

Refracting light

Investigating refraction

Conclusions

Refraction illusions
Investigating refraction
Explanation

When light hits the surface of a material, some may be

reflected, some may be absorbed, and some may be transmitted
through the material.

Transparent materials like glass Opaque materials reflect or

and water transmit most of the absorb most of the light that
light that hits them. You can see hits them.
through them.
Investigating refraction
Explanation

When light is transmitted through transparent

materials this can sometimes cause illusions.

A transparent block can make The bottom half of a pencil in

the middle of a person’s finger water can appear disconnected
appear to one side. from the top half (in air).
Investigating refraction
Explanation

These illusions occur because

light can change direction
when it is transmitted into a glass air
air
new medium (material).

This is called refraction.

Light only changes direction (refracts) at the boundary

between two media.

When the medium is not changing, light travels in straight lines.

Investigating refraction
Check

Which diagram correctly shows how a beam of light passes

from air, into and out of a glass block?

a b c

d e f
Investigating refraction
Explanation

There can be transmission without refraction.

Refraction is the change in direction.

Transmission without Transmission with

refraction. refraction.
Screenshots of a sim. by Javalab – Optical Experiment Simulator, [Link]
Investigating refraction
Check

Which of the following diagrams show refraction?

a b c

d e f

Screenshots of a sim. by Javalab – Optical Experiment Simulator, [Link]

Investigating refraction
Explanation

You are going to investigate refraction in a transparent

rectangular block.

You will create a narrow beam of light using a ray box with a single slit.
Caution: these can get hot!

Some of the light that hits the block may be

reflected.
This can be ignored in this lesson where we
are focusing on refraction.
Screenshot of a simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC–BY–4.0
([Link]
Investigating refraction
Explanation

You will ‘trace’ the paths taken by 4 different beams of

light through a transparent block.

Start by drawing a ‘baseline’ in the middle normal

of a sheet of paper with a ruler.

Then draw a line through the baseline, at baseline

90°. This is called the normal line.
(Use the corner of the block to get 90°.)

Then draw three lines at different angles to the normal that hit the
baseline in the same place. (You will line up the beam of light with
each of these and the normal).
Investigating refraction
Explanation

Place the rectangular transparent block with its top edge

against the baseline.

Draw around it and take care not to

move or knock it from now on.

In turn, beams of light can be aligned

with the normal and the three other lines.
?

You will trace the path that each beam of

light takes through the block.
Investigating refraction
Explanation

Mark the centre of each ray that leaves the

block in two places, with a sharp pencil.

Once all 4 rays have been marked: How to do this for

● remove the block and the ray box one of the beams:
● use a ruler to join each pair of crosses
back to the edge of the block
● use a ruler to trace the path of the ray
when it was in the block.

Highlighting each complete ray in a

different colour can make it clearer.
Investigating refraction
Check

Put the steps of the investigation in the correct order.

b a d c
Shine a beam of light along the normal and mark the ray that
a
leaves the block in 2 places.

b Draw the baseline, normal and the 3 other incident beam lines.
Put the block in place and draw round it.

c Join each pair of crosses back to the block and complete each ray.

d Repeat the previous step but with the beam aligned with each of
the 3 other incident beam lines, in turn.
Task A Investigating refraction
Practice

1) Collect a rectangular transparent block and a ray box

with a slit (and a power supply if needed).

2) On paper, use a ruler to draw the baseline,

normal and the 3 other incident beam lines.
(Use the corner of the block to give 90°.)

3) Place the block on the paper

as shown, with the top long
edge against the baseline.
Draw around it.
Task A Investigating refraction
Practice

4) Shine a narrow beam of light along the

normal and then along each incident beam
line, in turn. For each one, mark the ray
that leaves the block in 2 places.

5) Remove the block and the ray box.

Use a ruler to join each pair of crosses
back to the edge of the block.
Then use a ruler to trace the path of
each ray when it was in the block.
Highlight each complete ray in a different colour.
Task A Investigating refraction
Feedback

Example completed
diagram:
(with each beam traced
in a different colour, for
clarity)
Lesson outline

Refracting light

Investigating refraction

Conclusions

Refraction illusions
Conclusions
Explanation

A conclusion states
what you found out in Conclusion
an experiment, and how
you know this. I found out that…
Conclusions
Check

1) Which beam is not c d

refracted? b
d
a

2) Which beam
is refracted
the most? a
Conclusions
Explanation

Light that hits the surface of a

transparent material along the
normal (‘straight on’) is not
refracted.

The greater the angle of a

beam to the normal, the more
it is refracted (the greater the
change in angle).
Conclusions
Explanation

Travelling into a transparent Travelling out of that

material from air: transparent material, back into air:

A ray is bent A ray is bent ‘out’

‘in’ towards away from the
the normal. normal, by the
same amount.

Screenshots of a simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC–BY–4.0
([Link]
Conclusions
Check

Which option shows the correct path of the refracted ray

in each diagram?

1) 2)

normal normal

incident ray incident ray

Conclusions
Explanation

A ray that enters and leaves a block through parallel sides

ends up travelling back in its original direction, but displaced
to the side.

These two rays are parallel.

The ray is refracted ‘in’ (towards the normal)
when it enters the block. When it leaves the block
it is refracted ‘out’ (away from the normal) by the
same amount.

parallel sides

Screenshot of a sim. by Javalab – Optical Experiment Simulator,

[Link]
Conclusions
Check

Which diagram shows the ray refracting correctly

through a transparent block?

a b c d e
Task B Conclusions
Practice

Draw the path that each ray of light takes into and out of
each rectangular glass block.
Include a normal each time the ray refracts.
(The amount of refraction doesn’t have to be exact but it must be in the
right direction.)
Task B Conclusions
Feedback

Draw the path that each ray of light takes into and out of
each rectangular glass block.
Include a normal each time the ray refracts.
(The amount of refraction doesn’t have to be exact but it must be in the
right direction.)
Lesson outline

Refracting light

Investigating refraction

Conclusions

Refraction illusions
Refraction illusions
Explanation

This illusion occurs because a ray that enters

and leaves a block through parallel sides ends
up travelling back in its original direction, but
displaced to the side.

Your eye then ‘traces back’ where the ray image

appears to have come from. That’s where finger
you see the image of the displaced finger. virtual
ray
In diagrams, dashed ‘virtual rays’ are
drawn to show where light appears to
(but does not actually) come from.
Refraction illusions
Check

Why does this illusion occur?

Light changes direction as it

a
travels through the glass.

b Light changes direction as it enters and leaves the glass.

c The glass moves part of the image to one side.

d The glass twists the image.

Refraction illusions
Explanation

The illusion is a virtual image because it appears

where rays of light appear to have come from, not
where they actually came from.

pencil (in water)

The pencil–in–water
illusion works in the virtual image (what
same way. you see)

virtual ray
Refraction illusions
Explanation

Water and objects under That’s because light reflected from

water often appear shallower objects under water refracts when it
than they really are. passes from water into air.

A virtual image
of the object is
seen where the
light appears to
have come from.

The image always appears at a shallower

depth than where the object really is.
Refraction illusions
Check

Andeep is standing by a pond. There is a fish

underwater near Andeep.

Andeep
Where does the fish a
appear to be? b

d
Refraction illusions
Check

When rays of light leave the water and enter air, they
refract __________
away from the normal.

Andeep sees a Andeep

_________
virtual image
of the fish where the image

rays of light appear

to have come from. fish
Task C Refraction illusions
Practice

Place two coins at the bottom of a mug.

Adjust your viewpoint so you can only see one coin. viewpoint
Don’t move from this viewpoint.
Another person will carefully fill the mug with water,
ensuring the coins don’t move in the process.
1) Predict what you think you will see when
the mug is filled with water.
viewpoint
2) Explain why you think you will see this. ?
3) Watch from the viewpoint as the mug is filled.

4) Were your prediction and explanation correct?

Write an improved explanation for what you saw happen.
Task C Refraction illusions
Feedback

Example answers.
Prediction:
As the water was poured in, the edge of the second coin slowly
became visible. The first coin remained visible. It appeared to
move slightly in my field of view.
Explanation:
With the mug full of water, rays of light reflecting from the coins
refracted (away from the normal) when they moved out of the
water into air. Rays of light from the second coin could now enter
my eyes so I could see it. What I was actually seeing was a
virtual image of the second coin, located where the rays of light
from that coin appeared to be coming from.
Summary Refracting light

Light changes direction when it is transmitted into a new

medium (material) at an angle to the normal. This is called refraction.

When light enters a transparent material from air, it turns

towards the normal.
When light leaves a transparent material and re–enters air it
turns away from the normal.

A ray that enters and leaves a transparent block through parallel sides ends
up travelling in the original direction but displaced to the side.

Refraction can cause virtual images of objects to appear where light seems
to be coming from, e.g. water appearing shallower than it really is.
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