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    Light changes direction when passing from one medium to another with a different density, known as refraction. The speed of light and refractive index varies between media. When light moves from a less dense to more dense medium, it bends towards the normal line, as seen when a stick appears broken when partially submerged in water. The refractive index is the ratio of light's speed in a vacuum to its speed in a medium, and determines the degree light is refracted at the boundary between materials.

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    Light changes direction when passing from one medium to another with a different density, known as refraction. The speed of light and refractive index varies between media. When light moves from a less dense to more dense medium, it bends towards the normal line, as seen when a stick appears broken when partially submerged in water. The refractive index is the ratio of light's speed in a vacuum to its speed in a medium, and determines the degree light is refracted at the boundary between materials.

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    32 views1 page

    Refraction of Light

    Uploaded by

    f_Alconer9651
    Light changes direction when passing from one medium to another with a different density, known as refraction. The speed of light and refractive index varies between media. When light moves from a less dense to more dense medium, it bends towards the normal line, as seen when a stick appears broken when partially submerged in water. The refractive index is the ratio of light's speed in a vacuum to its speed in a medium, and determines the degree light is refracted at the boundary between materials.

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    Refraction of Light http://www.physicstutorials.org/index.

    php/home/optics/refraction-of-light

    additional
    content information
    Refraction of Light
    Refraction

    As I said before light travels in a straight line in any

    homogenous medium. However, when it passes from one


    medium to another medium it changes its direction. We call

    this
    change

    in the
    direction
    of light

    refraction. Since the densities of the mediums are different

    light travels with different speed in different mediums. Speed


    of light in vacuum is 300.000.000km per hour. You see the
    stick as it is broken in the given picture. It is the clear example

    of refraction of light. We find the amount of refraction by using

    the refractive indexes of the mediums. What is the refractive

    index? It is the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to


    the speed of the light in given medium. Refractive
    index of medium A is given below;

    Now we examine the refraction of light from two mediums. We

    assume the refractive index of air 1.

    The drawing given above shows the angles of reflected and

    refracted rays. You may some confusion in your mind about


    the reflection of the light in refracting. However, I want to

    mention it here, when an incident ray passes one medium to

    another some parts of it is reflected from the surface of

    boundary and the rest is refracted. The amount of reflection is

    related to the difference between the refractive indexes of the

    mediums. Later in this topic we will see this detail.

    Optics Exams and Solutions

    Mirror Equations of Next >The Laws of


    Curved Mirrors< Prev Refraction
    Tags: refraction of light refractive index of a
    medium speed of light

    Related

    1 of 1 21 Jan 2011 9:23 PM

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