3 Questions
What is the angle of refraction when light travels from air to water?
Greater than the angle of incidence
What happens to the speed of light when it enters a denser medium?
It decreases
What color light bends the most when passing through a prism?
Violet
Study Notes
Refraction of Light
- When light travels from air to water, the angle of refraction is less than the angle of incidence, due to the decrease in speed of light as it enters a denser medium.
- The speed of light decreases when it enters a denser medium, resulting in a change in direction.
- This change in direction is known as refraction, which occurs because light travels at different speeds in different mediums.
Dispersion of Light
- When white light passes through a prism, it is split into its constituent colors, which bend at different angles due to their different wavelengths.
- Violet light has the shortest wavelength and bends the most, while red light has the longest wavelength and bends the least.
- This is why violet light is always seen at the outermost edge of the rainbow, and red light is seen at the innermost edge.
Test your knowledge of light refraction with this quiz! Explore how the speed of light changes in denser mediums, predict the angle of refraction from air to water, and discover which color light bends the most through a prism.
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