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Part 3: Analyzing Refraction of Waves

 Refraction (bending) is the change in the direction
of propagation caused by the change in the speed
and wavelength of the waves when travelling from
one medium to another.
 Water waves travel faster on the surface of deep
water than shallow water.
 This decrease in speed in shallow water will also
be accompanied by a decrease in wavelength but
frequency remains unchanged.
v1 v2 v1
λ1 λ2 λ1

Shallow area Deep area

Deep area
λ1
λ2
N
v1
v2

λ1 > λ2
v1 > v2,
 λ1
v2
v1

Shallow area λ2
Deep area
λ1 < λ2
v1 < v2,
 Characteristics of refracted waves:
 Waves change in speed, wavelength and
direction as they enter different medium
 Waves change in direction (provided that the
angle of incidence is not equal to zero)
 Frequency remains unchanged (constant
because it comes from only 1 source)
Water region
Aspect
Deep water Shallow water
Velocity
Wavelength
Frequency
 Formula (Do it Professionally)
v

λ
Extra Notes..!!
Water waves in motion are not easily observed by the naked eye. A mechanical
stroboscope is used to study the propagation of the water waves. The moving water
appears to be stationary when the frequency of the stroboscope is the same as the
frequency of the water waves. So the frequency of the water waves can be determined
as follow:

n = number of slits of the stroboscope , f ’ = frequency of the stroboscope

Case 1: Rectangular plate

Deep area Deep area

Shallow area
Case 2: Trapezium plate with vertical side facing the incident wave

Deep area Deep area

Shallow area
Case 3: Trapezium plate with slant side facing the incident wave

Deep area Shallow area

Deep area
Case 4: Trapezium plate with both slant side

Deep area

Deep area
Shallow area
Case 5: Triangular plate

Deep area Shallow area

Deep area
Case 6: Convex lens-shaped plate
Case 7: Concave lens-shaped plate
 Example 1 Solution
Figure below shows water ripples in two
areas of water with different depths. The
observation is made with a stroboscope with
3 slits. The frequency of the stroboscope is 4
rotation per second. Calculate:
a) the frequency of the dipper
b) the wavelength in the deep area and in
the shallow area
c) The speed of the waves in the two areas

2.4 cm
6 cm
 Example 2
A plane wave has a wavelength of 2 cm and a
velocity of 8 cm s-1 as it moves over the
surface of a shallow water. When the plane
wave moves into an area of greater depth, its
velocity becomes 12 cm s-1. What is the
wavelength and the frequency of the wave in
the area of greater depth?
Example 3
Figure below shows a plane wave travelling
from deep area to shallow area. If the
frequency of water is waves is 6 Hz, calculate
the wavelength of the water waves in the
shallow area.
10.8 cm/s

Deep area Shallow area

 Example 4 Solution
A wave travels from a shallow area to a deep
area with the frequency of 18 Hz. The ratio of
the wavelength in the shallow area and deep
area is 3 : 4. The wave speed in the deep area is
12 cm s-1. Calculate:
i) the wave speed in the shallow area
ii) the wavelength of the waves in the
shallow area
Refraction causes wavefronts to follow the shape of coastline

 When the water waves approach the coast, the water is

shallower.
 Refraction occurs and the wave speed decreases.
 The wavefronts are refracted and become closer to each other
 Wavefronts bent towards normal caused by refraction
 This results in the wavefronts following the shape of the coast.
 The amplitude of the sound wave increases when a balloon filled
with carbon dioxide is placed between the speaker and the
microphone
 Carbon dioxide is denser than air.
 The sound wave is refracted approaching the normal when the
wave propagates from the air into the balloon, and away from
normal when moving out from the balloon.
 As a result, the balloon acts as a biconvex lens and converges the
sound wave at a point
 The amplitude of the sound wave decreases when a balloon filled
with helium is placed between the speaker and the microphone
 Helium is less denser than air.
 The sound wave is refracted away from the normal when the wave
propagates from the air into the balloon, and closer to normal when
moving out from the balloon.
 As a result, the balloon acts as a concave lens and diverges the
sound wave to a wider area
Why do sound waves transmit farther at night?
 The propagation of sound wave is faster in hot air
(less dense) and slower in cold air (denser).
 When sound wave propagates in air whose
temperature changes with altitude, refraction of
sound happens.
 In the daytime, when the sun shines the earth, the
air near the earth surface is hotter than the air
above. Sound waves will be refracted to the sky
 On the contrary, in the nighttime, the air near the
surface is cooler and sound waves are refracted to
the earth surface