Chapter 5 - Optics

Question 1

What is refraction?

Answer 1

The change of direction that occurs when light passes at an angle across a boundary between two transparent substances.

Question 2

Which way does light bend?

Answer 2

Toward the normal when passing into a more dense substance, and away from the normal when passing into a less dense substance.

Question 3

What happens if incident light is along the normal?

Answer 3

Light is not refracted.

Question 4

What is Snell’s law?

Answer 4

The ratio of sin(i)/sin(r) is always constant for each light ray, where i is the angle of incidence and r is the angle of refraction.

Question 5

What is the refractive index?

Answer 5

n = sin(i)/sin(r)

Question 6

Partial refraction also occurs when a light ray in air enters a refractive substance.

Answer 6

Partial refraction also occurs when a light ray in air enters a refractive substance.

Question 7

n = speed of light in a vacuum/speed of light in the transparent substance

Answer 7

n = speed of light in a vacuum/speed of light in the transparent substance