Refraction

Tuesday, 25 September 2018

12:42 PM

When a ray of light encounters a boundary of another medium, while part of the light is reflected, another part of the light enters the second medium, and is bent

 

Lesser angle of refraction  Slower; Ray bends towards the normal

Higher angle of refraction  Faster; Ray bends away from the normal

 

 

• Light rays encounter an electron, which might absorb the light, oscillate and re-radiate the light
• Absorption and radiation cause the average speed of light through the material to decrease

 

Index of Refraction

Where

 - speed of light

 - speed in vacuum

 

 in a vacuum (and assumed for air)

 for other mediums

• FREQUENCY does not change!

 

The wave speed and wavelength will change

 

 

From ,