What are the modern uses and applications of refraction?

Answer 1

Refraction is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its speed. This is most commonly seen when a wave passes from one medium to another. Refraction of light is the most commonly seen example, but any type of wave can refract when it interacts with a medium, for example when sound waves pass from one medium into another or when water waves move into water of a different depth.

Answer 2

A universally recognized application of refraction is associated with the ancient

device known as "the eye". Refraction is responsible for the ability of the cornea

and lens of the eye to form a real image on the retina.

For those with poorly shaped cornea, or loss of the focusing ability of the lens, or an eye

that's too long or too short to place the retina at exactly the right position, external lenses

can be added in the visual chain to provide additional refraction. These are often popularly

referred to as "glasses", as in "Oh, I see that you wear glasses.", and their entire ability to

function also rests on the phenomenon of refraction.

Other applications of refraction are:

-- telescopes

-- microscopes

-- hotel-room-door peepsights

-- movie and TV projectors

-- scanners and copiers

-- cameras

-- magnifying glass

-- binoculars

-- spotting scopes

-- Opera glasses