Undergraduate Academic Research J ournal (UARJ ), ISSN: 2278 1129, Volume-1, Issue-3,4, 2012

8
ALTERNATE DERIVATION OF CONDITION FOR MINIMUM
ANGLE OF DEVIATION

MOLLA RAMIZUR RAHMAN

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore, India


Abstract - In optics, the condition for minimum angle of deviation for light passing through a prismhas been derived using
maxima and minima, a concept belonging to the topic of calculus fromthe branch of mathematics. Unlike the traditional
method of using geometry for deriving the relation, a new approach has been adopted which explains the wide application
areas of calculus and also links calculus to optics.

Keywords-maxima; minima; calculus; minimum deviation.

I. INTRODUCTION

Optics has become an integrated part of physics
which deals with the behavior of light. Newton
worked on the particle nature of light while Dutch
physicist Christian Huygens worked on the wave
nature of it. Optics finds its application in a wide
range, from human eye (biological nature) to
astronomical telescopes (cosmological scale). Many
great scientists like Snell have contributed to this
field alongside Huygen.

The known interaction of light with matter is in the
form of three phenomenon reflection, refraction and
absorption. While reflection is the bouncing back of
light in the same media from where it comes,
refraction is the passage of light through a media.
Absorption is the phenomenon of the loss of light in a
media.

Various laws were formulated as research on optics
progressed with time. The basic law of this field is
the Snells law [1,2,5], which states that the ratio of
sine function of angle of incidence to the sine
function of angle of refraction for a pair of media is
constant and is known as the refractive index of the
second media with respect to first media which is
being represented as . The other important law
regarding this is that the incident ray, refracted ray
and normal at the point of incidence, all are coplanar.
By term coplanar, we mean a plane which contains all
the three, that is, the incident ray, refracted ray and
normal lie in the same plane. Snells law is based on
the phenomenon of refraction.

Here, the condition for minimum angle of deviation
through a prism in a theoretical process using
calculus, taking into consideration the concept of
maxima and minima, has been obtained which was
previously accomplished using geometry.


II. DERIVATION OF CONDITION FOR
MINIMUM ANGLE OF DEVIATION
USING CALUCULUS

Consider a rectangular base prism XYZ as shown
in fig. 1, where angle as the angle of prism. Let AB
be

























Figure 1: Diagram depicting the path of light refracting
through a rectangular base prism.

the incident ray, BC be the refracted ray and CD be
the emergent ray. Here, the angle of incidence is
and angle of emergence is . MN and OP represent
the normal drawn on the surface XY and XZ
respectively. Let be the minimum angle of
deviation. We need to find the condition for which
the angle of deviation, , is minimum.
From fig. 1


Alternate Derivation of Condition for MinimumAngle of Deviation
Undergraduate Academic Research J ournal (UARJ ), ISSN: 2278 1129, Volume-1, Issue-3,4, 2012
9

III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

As existent, Snells Law, has been used as a base
for obtaining the minimum angle of deviation using a
combination of geometry and calculus. Whenever a
ray of light is incident on refracting medium of higher
refractive index than the medium from which the ray
of light is coming, then it undergoes refraction and
the light travels through the refracting medium by
bending towards the normal while entering the
medium. The ray of light exhibits deviation away
from the normal when it passes from a medium of
higher refractive index to a medium of lower
refractive index. The deviation, that is, bending of
light ray towards or away from the normal depends
on the refractive indices of the two media and also on
the angle of incidence. The above results show that
when a ray of light travels through a rectangular base
prism (of higher refractive index then the air), the
condition for minimum angle of deviation is
dependent on the angle of incidence and the angle of
emergence. It has been shown here that when the
angle of incidence is equal to the angle of emergence,
the deviation of the light ray travelling through prism
is minimum.

IV. APPLICATION OF CALCULUS BASED
PROOF

As mathematics is the language of physics,
different methods are used for to prove various
theorem, results and formulae. So, herein calculus has
been used to prove the above result which stands far
apart from the traditional method of using geometry.
Alternate Derivation of Condition for MinimumAngle of Deviation
Undergraduate Academic Research J ournal (UARJ ), ISSN: 2278 1129, Volume-1, Issue-3,4, 2012
10
The new approach uses a great combination of
geometry and calculus. With the help of the obtained
results, refractive index and other properties for
which refractive index is the base can be determined
very accurately. The knowledge of the refractive
index can then be used as a base for studying the
properties of light and deviation of the light and its
components. This may also find its application in
determining different combinations for various
purposes as in case of cars, satellites, aircrafts,
appropriate refractive index of glass for the human
eye, glass made utensils and many others.

V. CONCLUSION

Snells Law, already existent, has been used for
obtaining the condition for minimum angle of
deviation for a ray of light which is refracted through
the rectangular base prism using a combination of
geometry and calculus. It is seen from the derivation
that the minimum angle of deviation is achieved
when angle of incidence and angle of emergence are
equal. The new proof opens up a new dimension of
linking and forming new and strong foundations
between physics and mathematics. This makes our
understanding of physics all new more focused and
better. This new approach also gives hope for new
approaches of obtaining the established ideas and
results in the form of laws and theorems.

REFERENCES

[1] Halliday/Resnick/Walker, Fundamentals of Physics, 6
th

ed. Extended, Wiley Publication, pp 833-860.
[2] HC Verma , Concepts of Physics,Vol I, 6
th
reprint ,Bharti
Bhavan Publications, pp 385-400.
[3] Hall and Knight, Higher Algebra,Essential Books, pp 1-
10
[4] Sears/Zimansky/Young University Physics,6
th
ed.,
Narosa Publishing House, pp 750-766
[5] DB Singh, Arihant AIEEE Physics, 2007 edition, Arihant
Prakashan, pp 699-744