Refractions

• What is the phenomenon called when light waves change direction as they pass from one medium to another?

  Refraction
• Why do waves travel at different speeds in different materials?

  Because different materials have different densities
• What happens to light waves when they travel from air into glass?

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

  A dashed line perpendicular to the surface
• How does the angle of incidence affect the direction of light waves during refraction?

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

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

  It slows down
• What remains constant when a wave changes mediums?

  The frequency of the wave
• What changes when the speed of a wave increases?

  The wavelength must increase as well
• How do different wavelengths of light behave when passing through a triangular prism?

  They are refracted by different amounts
• What is the result of passing white light through a triangular prism?

  • Different colors bend to different degrees
  • The colors spread out like a rainbow