Refraction
Refraction is explained by looking into a pool and seeing Snell's law in action. We also explore the concepts of total internal reflection and formation of the critical angle.
Refraction is explained by looking into a pool and seeing Snell's law in action. We also explore the concepts of total internal reflection and formation of the critical angle.
Learning Objectives
-Define refraction and conceptually compare and contrast refraction with reflection.
-Compare and contrast the angle of incidence and angle of refraction.
-Define and apply Snell’s Law conceptually and mathematically.
-Examine the critical angle for various pairs of substances and understand whether refraction or reflection occurs at angles greater or less than this angle.
-Understand the critical angle in terms of the media differences.
-Explain how the speed of light changes in mediums with different refractive indices.
-Examine the concept of total internal reflection and how this relates to the critical angle.
-Define refraction and conceptually compare and contrast refraction with reflection.
-Compare and contrast the angle of incidence and angle of refraction.
-Define and apply Snell’s Law conceptually and mathematically.
-Examine the critical angle for various pairs of substances and understand whether refraction or reflection occurs at angles greater or less than this angle.
-Understand the critical angle in terms of the media differences.
-Explain how the speed of light changes in mediums with different refractive indices.
-Examine the concept of total internal reflection and how this relates to the critical angle.
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Vocabulary
critical angle (ΘC) - the angle of incidence beyond which rays of light passing through a denser medium to the surface of a less dense medium are no longer refracted but totally reflected. internal reflection - when light strikes an interface at an angle greater than the critical angle and is reflected back into a more dense medium. refraction - the bending of light rays as they move from one transparent medium to another. refraction index (n) - a ratio that describes how much light bends as it moves from one medium to another. Snell’s Law - the law states that the ratio of the sines of the angles of incidence and refraction is constant for all incidences in any given pair of media for electromagnetic waves of a definite frequency. |