Refraction

Refraction of light is the phenomenon where light rays bend when they pass from one medium into another medium of different optical density. This bending occurs due to the change in speed of light in different media.

There are two laws of refraction.

• The reflected, incident, and the normal at the point of incidence all will tend to lie in the same plane.

• The ratio of the sine of the angle of the incidence and refraction is constant. This is called Snell’s law.

n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂ 

Where,

• n₁ is the initial media,
• θ₁ is the angle of incidence,
• n₂ is the final media,
• θ₂ is the angle of refraction

Examples of Refraction

• Refraction explains natural phenomena like rainbows. When light passes through raindrops, it bends and spreads out into colors. This colorful bending is why we see rainbows in the sky after it rains.

• Another example is the mirage, an optical illusion often seen on hot days on roads. Light bends as it travels through air layers of different temperatures, making it look like there is water on the road.

Refraction has practical applications in many fields. It is used in designing lenses for various optical devices like microscopes, telescopes, and binoculars.

Reflection and refraction both involve the behavior of light interacting with different materials, but they are distinct phenomena. Reflection of light is the process of bouncing back light rays when they strike the smooth and shiny reflecting surface. Refraction of light is defined as the change in direction or the bending of a light wave passing from one medium to another due to the change in speed of the wave. 

In this article, we are going to learn about the difference Between reflection and refraction in detail.