0
Why the path of light changes when it enters into another medium?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Light is an electromagnetic wave, it is composed of electrical and magnetic fields. Matter is composed of particles, most of which are electrically charged. Hence, the electrical fields in light can interact with the electrical fields of subatomic particles in ordinary matter. So when light passes through water, glass, or any transparent medium, it is no longer travelling in a straight line. It makes its way around the atoms in an intricate curving course, comparable to a highly microscopic slalom ski course. As a result of this, it takes longer to pass through these media than it takes light to pass through a vacuum. And it is this difference in speed which causes light to change its path. It will actually be bent, in a process formally known as refraction.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
When light enters a different medium the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium index of .?
When light enters a different medium, the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium's index of..........=refraction
When light enters a different medium the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determind by the medium's index of?
When light enters a different medium, the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium's index of..........=refraction
When light travels from one medium to another which factors changes?
direction changes.
Why is white light dispersed when it pases from one medium to anonther?
a light ray is refracted when it passes from one medium to another at an angle and its speed changes. at the interface , it is bent in one direction if the material enters in denser and in the other direction if less dense.
What does light waves do when it moves from one medium to another?
A light wave can slow down or speed up when it enters another medium. Since the speed of wave motion in general depends on characteristics of the environment, you can always expect the speed of a wave to change as it moves from one medium to another. In the case of sound, it's the mechanical characteristics that matter, whereas for light and other electromagnetic waves, the determining characteristics are the electrical ones. So the speed of light changes when it enters a different medium. Now, since the product of (frequency) x (wavelength) is the wave speed, and the frequency can't change, we notice that if the speed changes, then the wavelength also changes in a new medium. Furthermore, right at the interface ... the boundary between the two media ... if the light doesn't hit the boundary exactly perpendicular to it, then we say that the light is "refracted" at the boundary, meaning that the light leaves the boundary in the new medium in a different direction compared to its direction in the previous medium.
Why frequency of light never change when light changes medium?
When light enters another medium it changes speed, but thewavelength changes correspondingly so that the frequency does not change. For example, if light enters a medium where its speed is cut in half, then the wavelength will also be reduced by half.
When light waves enter a new medium and bend what occurs?
When light enters a different medium, the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium's index of refraction.
When light enters a different medium the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium's index of .?
When light enters a different medium, the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium's index of..........=refraction
When light enters a different medium the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium index of .?
When light enters a different medium, the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium's index of..........=refraction
How is refraction linked to light speed?
When light enters a different medium (refracts), its speed changes.
When light enters a different medium the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the mediums index?
When light enters a different medium, the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium's index of..........=refraction
What happens to the speed of light as it enters a different meduim?
It changes, in accordance with the optical density of the medium.
When light enters a different medium the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determind by the medium's index of?
When light enters a different medium, the amount that the light is bent as it enters the medium is determined by the medium's index of..........=refraction
When light travels from one medium to another which factors changes?
direction changes.
Why is white light dispersed when it pases from one medium to anonther?
a light ray is refracted when it passes from one medium to another at an angle and its speed changes. at the interface , it is bent in one direction if the material enters in denser and in the other direction if less dense.
What does light waves do when it moves from one medium to another?
A light wave can slow down or speed up when it enters another medium. Since the speed of wave motion in general depends on characteristics of the environment, you can always expect the speed of a wave to change as it moves from one medium to another. In the case of sound, it's the mechanical characteristics that matter, whereas for light and other electromagnetic waves, the determining characteristics are the electrical ones. So the speed of light changes when it enters a different medium. Now, since the product of (frequency) x (wavelength) is the wave speed, and the frequency can't change, we notice that if the speed changes, then the wavelength also changes in a new medium. Furthermore, right at the interface ... the boundary between the two media ... if the light doesn't hit the boundary exactly perpendicular to it, then we say that the light is "refracted" at the boundary, meaning that the light leaves the boundary in the new medium in a different direction compared to its direction in the previous medium.
What happens when light and its wavelength travels from one medium to another?
The speed of light and its wavelength decreases when it enters a new medium. The physicist Snell showed that it can vary.
