![]() ![]() This law of refraction is termed as Snell’s law. Second law: The second law states that when a ray of light passes through a rarer medium to a denser medium, the refracted ray comes closer to the normal while the ray of light passes through a denser medium to a rarer medium, the refracted ray moves away from the normal. The refraction of light is governed by three laws.įirst law: The first law of refraction states that the incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the interface of two transparent media at the point of incidence, all lie in the same plane. With the help of this property of light, refractive errors of human eyes are corrected and corrective lenses are made. In this way, we can say that when the light enters in a medium its speed becomes slower and the path deflects.Īrtificial refraction has medical uses also. If the angle of light is perpendicular to the surface, it does not bend but it looks thick. ![]() ![]() So the bending of light depends on the angle at which it is falling. Similarly, we immerse a stick partially in a glass of water in a tilted way we see that the stick which merged in the water is slightly bent. When we see the objects placed inside water, they appear closer actually they are. In this, if we see the road at a certain angle, it appears that water has covered the surface. In summer day, another phenomenon occurs which is a mirage. The same phenomenon occurs in hot summer days on the roads. This shimmering of objects is due to the mixing of hot air (near the fire of heated surface) with the cold air. ![]() When we see the objects over the fire or heated surface, we find that objects are shimmering. Temperature variation also affects the refraction of light. Similarly, even after the sunset, light appears at the horizon. Before the time of sunrise, though the sun does not appear the light emerges from the horizon. This is phenomenon is more predominant at the time of sunrise and sunset. But when the light emerges deep down the density of air increases which refracts the light more and spreading of light occurs more. At high altitudes, the density of air is low hence it does not spread the light much. The density of air also depends on temperature and pressure. In the atmosphere, the density of air is low at high altitudes and it becomes denser at low altitudes. The density of the medium slows down the speed of light and therefore light bends. Refraction depends on the density of the medium. Due to this atmospheric refraction, the light from the sun reaches on the earth and spreads all over. A common example of natural refraction is atmospheric refraction. Therefore, there are two types of refraction, namely, natural and artificial refraction. Use of this property of light is very common in nature as well as artificial. The banding capacity of any medium is termed as refractive index. Refraction is the bending of light and this can be visualised when it passes from one transparent medium to another transparent medium. Perhaps in science we never “explain” nature - we just “describe” it.2 FAQs on Refraction Refraction and its Uses I leave it to the reader to decide whether this explains what happens, or merely describes what happens. ,\)Īnd so Snell’s Law is derived from the Huygens Construction. ![]()
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