explain refraction through different mediums
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Refraction is the bending of a wave when it enters a medium where its speed is different. The refraction of light when it passes from a fast medium to a slow medium bends the light ray toward the normal to the boundary between the two media. ... The bending of refraction can be visualized in terms of Huygens' principle.
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Refraction Explanation
Refraction is the bending of a wave when it passes from one medium to another. The bending is caused due to the differences in density between the two substances.
Defining Refraction
“Refraction is the change in the direction of a wave passing from one medium to another.”
Refraction of light is one of the most commonly observed phenomena, but other waves like sound waves and water waves also experience refraction. Refraction makes it possible for us to have optical instruments such as magnifying glasses, lenses and prisms. It is also because of the refraction of light that we are able to focus light on to our retina.
Causes of Refraction
Change of Speed Results in Change in Direction
A light ray refracts whenever it travels at an angle into a medium of different refractive index. This change in speed results in a change in direction. As an example, consider air travelling into water. The speed of light decreases as it continues to travel at a different angle.
Refraction of light in glass is shown in the figure above. When light travels from air into glass, the light slows down and changes direction slightly. When light travels from a less dense substance to a denser substance, the refracted light bends more towards the normal line. If the light wave approaches the boundary in a direction that is perpendicular to it, the light ray doesn’t refract in spite of the change in speed.
Laws of Refraction of Light
Laws of refraction state that:
- The incident ray refracted ray, and the normal to the interface of two media at the point of incidence all lie on the same plane.
- The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is a constant. This is also known as Snell’s law of refraction.
sin i / sin r = constant
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