Refraction of Light

Speed of light in a vacuum is constant.
Light will slow down when it passes through a glass block (or perspex). It will then speed up as it emerges from the block.
When a ray of light hits the block at an angle it will change direction. It will then emerge parallel to the original direction.
The refractive index for light going from one medium to another tells us how much light is slowed down (or sped up).
When a ray of lights meets the glass block perpendicular to the face, there is no change of direction.
The line that is drawn perpendicular to the plane face is called the normal.
The angle between the ray and the normal is the angle of incidence.
The angle of refraction is measured between the ray and the normal.
Snell's Law is true when a ray of light passes from medium 1 to medium 2.
When light enters an potically more dense medium: wavelength and speed decrease and frequency remains constant.
The refractive index of a material varies slightly as the frequency of the light changes.
Monochromatic light is light with a single wavelength.
When light enters a prism it bends towards the normal. When it leaves the prism it bends away from the normal.
Refraction occurs as the light enters and leaves the prism.
As an angle of incidence increases, the angle of refraction increase.
Beyond a certain angle of incidence the ray is no longer refracted out of the block.
The critical angle is the angle of incidence when the angle of refractin is 90 degrees.

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	Created by CuteMarshmallow about 10 years ago