1.

3 ANALYSING REFRACTION OF WAVES

a) Refraction of water waves,
b) Refraction of light waves,
c) Refraction of sound waves.
Introduction :
1. Refraction of waves ;
- When a wave traveling in one medium crosses the boundary into a
medium where its velocity is different, the transmitted wave may move in
a different direction than the incident wave.
2. Effect of refraction of waves ;
v, (velocity)
will change after refraction.
f, (frequency)
same before and after refraction.
, (wavelength)
will change after refraction.
a) Refraction of water waves :
1. when a water wave travelling from deep area to shallow area.

Ripple tank

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2. The characteristics of the refracted of water waves are as below ;

deep > shallow

f
same before and after refraction ( f = constant ),
v
v deep > v shallow
Shallow area
Refracted near to normal line. (angle of i 0 )
Deep area
Refracted far from normal line. ( i 0)
f = constant
f= v/
v1 / 1 = v2 / 2
3. A pattern of refraction of water waves.
- different types of transparent plate/perspecs plate.

b) Refraction of light waves :

1. When a light wave travelling in one medium crosses the boundary into a
medium with different density where it velocity is different.
2. v
= at low density medium.

3. v

= at high density medium.

4. Example of refraction of light wave ,

c) Refraction of sound waves :

1. Sound waves travel faster in warm air than in cool air.
2. On a hot day :
The hot surface of the earth causes the layer of air near the surface to
be warmer. This causes sound waves to be refracted away from the
earth.
On a cool night :
The sound waves travel slower in the cooler layer of air near the
surface of the earth than in the upper, warmer air. As a result, the
waves are refracted towards the earth.
3. This explains why sound can be heard over a longer distance on a cold
night compared with a hot day as illustrated as figure below.

ACTIVITIES :
1. A water waves travelling from shallow area to deep area with v = 25 cm/s and 30
cm/s. Find the ratio of wavelength from shallow area to deep area.
( 2 : 1)
2. Draw a pattern of refraction of water waves from shallow area to deep area.

3. When a light wave traveling in one medium crosses the boundary into a medium
with ______________________ where it _______________ is different.
4. Velocity is _____________ at low density medium and velocity is _____________
at high density medium.
5. Sound wave travel _________ in warm air than in cool air.
6. What happen to sound wave on a hot day ?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. What happen to sound wave on a cool day ?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. What is the effect of refraction of waves to
v, (velocity)
f, (frequency)
, (wavelength)

ASSESTMENT
(Objective questions )
1.

Refraction of water wave is defined

as

2. Refraction of light wave is defined as

A. when a water wave travelling

from deep area to shallow area.
B. waves spread as they travel and
when they encounter obstacles
or slits they bend around it and
pass into the region.
C. when a wave travelling in one
medium crosses the boundary
into a medium with different
density where it velocity is
different.
3.

A. waves spread as they travel and

when they encounter obstacles or
slits they bend around it and pass
into the region.
B. when a wave travelling in one
medium crosses the boundary into
a medium with different density
where it velocity is different.
C when a wave travelling from deep
area to shallow area

Effect of refraction of waves are as

below except

4. An audio signal generator produces

sound with constant speed. When the
frequency of the sound increases, its
wavelength ..

A. velocity will change after

refraction.

A. decreases

B. frequancy same before and after

refraction.

B. increases

C. wavelength same after refraction.

C. remains constant

D.wavelength will change after

refraction.
5.

Sound waves travel _______ in 6. What happen to sound wave on a hot

day ?
warm air than in cool air.
A. Very slow

A. Remains constant.

B. Slow

B. Effect to human body.

C. Same

C. Sound waves are refracted

towards the earth.

D. Faster

D.

Sound waves to be
refracted away from the earth.

(Structure question)
1. Complete the diagrams as below by drawing the wavefronts to show the
refraction of water waves.

2. Water waves undergo refraction when moving from a deep area to a shallow
area. Make a comparison between incident waves and refracted waves in
terms of
(a) wavelength,
(b) frequency,
(c) speed,
(d) direction of propagation.

3. In figure above, a plane wave with frequency 4 Hz and velocity 8

travelling from shallow area to deep area. Find the wavelength in
(a)
shallow area and
(b)
deep area.

cms 1

ANSWER KEY.
(Activity)
1.

5 : 6

2.

(3 ~ 8) Please refer to note.

ANSWER KEY.
(Assesment)
Objective questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

A
B
C
A
D
D

Structured Question.
1. Please refer to note.
2.
Effects
Incident waves

increase
f
remain contants
v
increase
direction
same direction with
incident waves.
3.Guna formula : v = f

cetek = 2 cm

dalam = 2.5 cm

Refracted waves
decrease
remain contants
decrease
change direction