Refraction

This lesson covers:

  1. Why light is refracted as it passes from one medium to another
  2. How to draw ray diagrams for refraction 
  3. What happens when white light is refracted through a prism 

direction / intensity / colour / speed / amplitude


Refraction refers to the change in of a wave, as it passes from one medium to another, and is caused by its change in .

direction
speed

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2

Light travels more ________ in a more dense material.

quickly

slowly

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1

Light travelling from a less dense material, into a more dense material, will bend ________ the normal.

towards

away from

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Diagram showing refraction with labels for point of incidence, refracted ray, incident ray, angle of incidence, emergent ray, angle of refraction, and normal.

Match the letters A to G on the above diagram with the following labels:


Point of incidence: 

Refracted ray:

Incident ray:

Angle of incidence:

Emergent ray:

Angle of refraction:

Normal:


C
E
A
B
G
D
F

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7

When a wave travels into a more dense medium, the wave speed decreases.


The frequency of the wave:

Stays the same

Increases

Decreases

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1

When a wave travels into a more dense medium, the wave speed decreases.


The wavelength of the wave:

Stays the same

Increases

Decreases

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1

Diagram showing white light entering a prism and refracting into a spectrum of colours.

In the above image, white light waves are travelling from a less dense medium (air), into a more dense medium (glass).


What has happened to the different wavelengths of light contained within the white light?

They have all refracted at the same angle

They have all refracted at different angles

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