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Published byBaldwin Golden Modified over 9 years ago
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Review Reflection
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Topic 3 Refraction
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Essential Learning Outcome
I can describe the refraction of light through different materials.
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Law of Refraction The Law of Refraction states that when light travels from one medium, to a more dense medium, the light will be bent toward the normal, and when it exits the denser medium into a less dense medium it will bend away from the normal. The new direction of light is called the angle of refraction.
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Refraction can also occur when light travels through air at different temperatures, because warm air is less dense than cold air. The refraction of light through air is called a mirage. The pools of water you see on a hot summer day are often caused by this effect, because the air closer to the ground is hotter than the air above it. As you approach these pools, they disappear - because they were never there.
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To understand how a mirage forms, one must first understand how light travels through air. If the air is all the same temperature--cold or hot--light travels through it in a straight line. If a steady temperature gradient exists, however, light will follow a curved path toward the cooler air. The standard freshman physics explanation for this phenomenon is that cold air has a higher index of refraction than warm air does. As a result, photons (particles of light) travel through hot air faster than they can through cold air because the hot air is less dense.
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Is That All There Is To Light?
What happens when light strikes a surface? Type of behavior What happens to light striking a surface Nature of surface What else happens? Absorption Energy Transformation rough, dark, opaque some light is reflected Reflection Bounces off smooth, shiny some light is absorbed Refraction Travels through in a new direction different transparent medium
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Refraction Diagram
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http://highered. mcgraw-hill
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Refraction Diagram Angles are measured with respect to the line which is perpendicular to the interface. When light travels from one medium--such as air, to another one of higher density--such as water, usually the light ray bends toward the perpendicular line.
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Important Terms Refraction – the bending of light when it travels from one medium (material) to another Bending Light When light travels into a more dense material, light bends toward the normal when light travels into a less dense material, light bends away from the normal Temperature can also bend light warm air is less dense than cold Angle of refraction – the angle between the normal & the refracted ray When light strikes a surface it can be absorbed, reflected, refracted or a combination of all three.
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One side of wave front slows down, and the entire train of fronts twists.
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Understanding Refraction
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