Reflection

• What is refraction of light waves?

  Change of direction when passing between media
• Why do waves travel at different speeds in different materials?

  Different materials have different densities
• What happens to light waves when they move from air to glass?

  They slow down and bend towards the normal
• What is the normal line in refraction?

  It is perpendicular to the surface at incidence
• How does the angle of incidence affect the direction of light waves?

  It determines how much the wave bends
• What are the steps to draw a ray diagram for refraction?

  1. Draw the normal line at the point of incidence.
  2. Draw the incident ray towards the normal.
  3. Determine the direction of the refracted ray.
  4. Draw the refracted ray towards the other medium.
  5. Repeat for the emergent ray.
  6. Label angles of incidence and refraction.
• What happens to the speed of a wave when it enters a more dense medium?

  It slows down and bends towards the normal
• What does the wave speed equation state?

  Wave speed equals frequency times wavelength
• What remains constant when a wave passes between media?

  Frequency of the wave
• What happens to the wavelength when the speed of a wave increases?

  The wavelength must also increase
• How does white light behave when passing through a triangular prism?

  • Different wavelengths refract by different amounts
  • Colors spread out like a rainbow
  • Each color bends to a different degree
• What is the result of passing white light through a prism?

  It spreads out into a rainbow