5.1 Refraction of light

Question 1

What is the normal line?

Answer 1

» Imaginary line perpendicular to a boundary between two materials or a surface

Question 2

What is refraction?

Answer 2

» Is the change of direction that occurs when light passes at an angle across a boundary

Question 3

When does the light ray bend towards the normal when it enters the substance?

Answer 3

» From a less optically dense to a more optically dense area

Question 4

When does the light ray bend away from the normal when it passes through a material?

Answer 4

» Passes away from the normal when it moves from a more optically dense area to a less optically dense area

Question 5

What is one key fact about the relationship between refraction and the angle of incidence?

Answer 5

» The angle of refraction is always less than the angle of incidence

Question 6

What also happens when light refracts?

Answer 6

» Partical reflection

Question 7

What is the refractive index?

Answer 7

» The ratio between sin(Incident angle)/sin(refraction angle)

Question 8

What is snells equation?

Answer 8

» n1.sin(theta1) = n2.sin(theta2)

Question 9

What is n1 and n2 in snells law?

Answer 9

» n1 is the refractive index on the incident substance
» n2 is the refractive index of the material in which light is passed through

Question 10

What is one fact about the angle of refraction of the light ray emerging from the block?

Answer 10

» It is the same as the angle of incidence of the light ray entering the block
» Because the 2 sides of the block at which refraction occurs are parallel to each other

Question 11

j

Answer 11

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