Refraction

    Cards (7)

      • The bending or change in direction of light when it travels from one medium to another. Each medium has its own index of refraction
    • What causes refraction
      • Normally light travels in straight lines as long as the light is traveling through the same material
      • Refraction is due to changes in the speed of light. Different media slow down light by different amounts
      • The more that light slows down, the more the light is refracted
    • Less to More Dense
      • When light travels from a less dense medium into a denser medium, light will slow down
      • Slowing down causes the light ray to bend towards the normal
      • Results in the angle of incidence being greater than the angle of refraction
    • More to less Dense: Water to Air
      • When light travels from a more dense medium to less dense medium, the light will speed up
      • Light speeding up causes the light ray to bend away from the normal
      • Results in angle of refraction becoming greater than the angle of incidence
    • Speed of Light
      • Speed of light in vacuum: c=3.00x10^8m/s
      • Speed of light in a medium (v) is different for different materials
    • Index of refraction
      • The index of refraction for a medium is determined by comparing the speed of light in the medium with the speed of light in a vacuum
    • Index of refraction of material = speed of light in vacuum/speed of light in medium
      • N = index of refraction
      • C = speed of light    
      • V = speed of light in given medium
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