Refraction of light

In optics, refraction occurs when waves from a medium with a specific refractive index to a medium with another to travel in a corner. To the border between the media, the wave changes phase velocity, usually causes a change in direction. Its opening is the Change in the direction of a wave due to a change in its Speed. This is seen most often, where a wave from a Medium to another at any angle exceeds 90 ° or 0 °. Refraction is the most commonly observed phenomenon, but any kind of Wave can break when it interacts with a medium.

Refraction occurs when waves from a medium with a given refractive Index to a medium with another to travel in a corner. On the border between the media, the wave changes phase velocity, usually a change in direction caused. Its wavelength increases or decreases, but its frequency remains constant. For example, breaking a light beam, as it comes and glass, assuming there is a change in the refractive index.

A ray traveling along the normal (perpendicular to the border) is Speed, but not change direction. Refraction takes place in this case still. Understanding of this concept led to the invention of lenses and the Refracting telescope. Refractive you see when searching in a bowl with water. Air has a refractive index of about 1.0003, and water has a refractive index of about 1.33. When a person looks a straight object such as a pencil or straw, which is mounted at an angle, partially in water, appears the object, turn on the water surface. This is due to the curvature of the Light rays as they move from water to air.

Once the rays reach the eye, the eye as it tracked back straight (Line of sight). The lines of the eyes (as dotted lines shown), cutting at a higher position than the actual radiation, comes. This causes the pin to display higher and the water appear flatter than it really is. The depth that displayed the water , when viewed from above is known as the apparent depth. This is an important consideration for the surface of harpoons, since it is the aim of do fish seem to be in another place, and the Fisher goal it has to bottom to catch the fish.


While refraction allows for beautiful phenomena such as Rainbows, it can also special optical phenomena such as glare and mirage created. This caused by the change of the refractive index of air with Temperatur.Vor Recently some metamaterials have been created, a negative Refractive index. With metamaterials, we can total refraction phenomena also obtained when the wave impedances of the two media are matched. It is then no reflected wave.