Refraction Review Notes Grade 8 PDF

Topic 3 - Refraction Refraction Is the bending of light when it travels from one medium to another The bending of light makes the object’s image appear to be in a different position than it really is Why Does Refraction Happen? Light bends because it changes speed when it mo...

Topic 3 - Refraction Refraction Is the bending of light when it travels from one medium to another The bending of light makes the object’s image appear to be in a different position than it really is Why Does Refraction Happen? Light bends because it changes speed when it moves through materials that have different densities When light rays enter a thicker (more dense) medium: It slows down It bends TOWARDS the normal E.g. from air to glass When light rays enter a thinner (less dense) medium: It speeds up It bends AWAY from the normal E.g. from glass back to air The refracted ray is: the light ray as it passes through the medium The Angle of Refraction is: Is the new direction of light when it bends It is the measure of the angle of the refracted ray from  the normal The Law of Refraction States: as the angle of incidence increases, the angle of refraction increases (not always at the same amount) Used to predict how light will bend When light travels from one medium to a more dense medium, the light will be bent toward the normal When it exits the denser medium into a less dense medium, it will bend away from the normal Mirage This is the refraction of light through air that is different temperatures (densities) Warm air is less dense than cold air.