Refraction

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**Refraction:** Change of direction at a boundary due to different WAVESPEED

The speed of light waves depends on the material they are traveling through. If the light waves enter a different material [e.g. from glass into air] the speed changes. - This causes the light to bend [or //refract//]. As the light ray moved from air into glass it moved towards the normal. - If light rays move from a less dense medium (air) to a more dense medium (glass) they ‘bend’ towards the normal. As the light ray moved from glass into air it moved away from the normal. - If light rays move from a more dense medium (glass) to a less dense medium (air) they ‘bend’ away from the normal.



Go to simulation of refraction in explorelearning

SNELL’S LAW: For two particular media, the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is constant.



Refraction GIZMOS classcode: 9JFTKLKVRQ