Refraction of light

• Physics
• Secondary Education
• Age 12,13

03 April 2023

6.2 Refraction of Light

Content objectives

• I can describe how light changes speed between air and either water or glass.
• I can recall that a change in speed can make a light ray change direction.
• I can recall which way light changes direction when it passes from air into glass or water.
• I can recall which way light changes direction when it passes from glass or water into air.

"distorted"

What is the speed of light in km per sec

Key Question 

What causes light to change its direction?

phet.colorado.edu

What happens to light when moving from air into water or glass?

slows down

moves faster

Lesson Summary

• Transparent objects allow light to pass through them.
• An incident ray is a ray of light that falls on a mirror.
• A reflected ray is a light ray reflecting away from the mirror
• The normal line is perpendicular (90 degrees) to the plane surface.
• Refraction is the bending of light due to a change in speed.