Refraction & Snell's Law
This simulation demonstrates how light bends when passing from air into a glass or acrylic block (and vice versa). Adjust the angles and materials to observe how refraction follows Snell's Law.
Light changes direction (refracts) when passing from one medium to another with a different refractive index. The amount of bending depends on the angle of incidence and the materials involved.
Snell's Law of Refraction
n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂
Where:
n₁ = refractive index of first medium
θ₁ = angle of incidence
n₂ = refractive index of second medium
θ₂ = angle of refraction
1. Light bends toward the normal when entering a denser medium (higher refractive index).
2. Light bends away from the normal when entering a less dense medium.
3. The refractive index (n) is a measure of how much a medium slows down light compared to vacuum.
Air: n ≈ 1.0
Water: n ≈ 1.33
Glass: n ≈ 1.5
Acrylic: n ≈ 1.49
Diamond: n ≈ 2.42
