Refraction of Light

Question 1

What is refraction?

Answer 1

It’s the bending of light as it travels at an angle, from one medium to a different medium

Question 2

What are two facts about light?

Answer 2

1. Light travels in straight line at constant speed as it’s travelling in the same medium.
2. When light travels from one medium to another, the light rays refract (bend).

Question 3

What is Fermat’s principle?

Answer 3

When light travels a greater distance in air (where light travels faster) and a shorter distance in water (where light travels slower), the time of travel is minimized (to take shortest path).

Question 4

What is Index of Refraction?

Answer 4

• (n)

- The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a different medium.

Question 5

What is the speed of light in a vacuum(space)?

Answer 5

3.00 X 10^8 m/s

Question 6

What is the formula that calculates index of refraction?

Answer 6

n= c/v

• “c” rep. Speed of light in a vacuum
• “v” rep. Speed of light in a particular vacuum

Question 7

What is the definition of dispersion?

Answer 7

The process of separating colours by refraction.

Question 8

What is the definition of partial reflection and refraction?

Answer 8

When light travels from one medium into another, some of the light is reflected and some is refracted.

Question 9

What is total internal reflection?

Answer 9

• phenomenon in which incident light is not refracted

- but is completely reflected back, and only occurs when light travels from slow to fast medium