Reflection & Refraction of Light Flashcards
How does light travel?
They travel in straight lines
What is reflection?
When the direction of light rays reflect on a perfectly smooth surface
What is an incident light ray?
The light ray travelling to the surface
i
What is refraction?
When the direction of light ray bends from one meduim to another
Why does refraction exist?
Because light can travels at different speeds through different media
What is a refractive index (n)?
The factor of the speed of light in a particular medium
Where does the light bend if the light passes into a medium with a higher n?
towards the normal
Where does the light bend if the light passes into a medium with a lower n?
away the normal
What’s an effect of refraction?
It can change the way we see things in the ocean from the land (fish diagram)
What is a critical angle?
Is an angle that makes the refraction angle 90 degrees
What happens if the angle created is more than the critical angle?
Creates a total internal reflection
What is an application of total internal reflection?
Fibre optics in electronic, the internet etc
What has a higher refractive index, water or air?
water
