answersLogoWhite

0

Light exhibits wave characteristics. It is a characteristic of waves to travel in the direction of higher density. Light will bend towards the thicker parts of the glass. To be honest, there is no easy answer why that happens unless one wants to resort to quantum mechanics which is above the heads of most.

White light is composed of a variety of frequencies. The wave rule is "longest is strongest" so the longest wave lengths are in the reds while the shortest wavelengths are in the blues. Blue will bend most and red the least. If light passes through a prism the beam will be spread out wider and the light will be bent towards the thicker part of the prism and the result will be a "rainbow" effect.
Check out "index of refraction" You will see each will be different depending on what the material is. The angles change when light goes from one density to another. It's the same reason why you're pencil looks different when you put it in a glass of water.
The light bends because as the light is entering the glass block it changes directon and slows down

User Avatar

Wiki User

7y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Where does refraction appear in?

light waves are bent


Do a pencil partically immersed in water appear bent because of diffraction of light?

Yes.


Why does plastic turn white when bent?

When plastic is bent, tiny cracks form on its surface. These cracks scatter light, causing the plastic to appear white.


Why does a spoon appear bent when immersed in a half filled glass of water?

A pencil in water looks bent because of refraction. when light enters a substance with a different density than the one it came out of, the light either slows down or speeds up. this makes the light appear bent. If there is a pencil in the water, it appears bent because the light is traveling at different speeds through water and air.


How can you use refraction in a sentence?

Light refraction causes a straw in a glass of water to appear bent or broken.


What makes rainbows appear in the sky?

Rainbows appear in the sky when sunlight is refracted, or bent, by raindrops in the atmosphere, causing the light to separate into its different colors.


Why does a pencil immersed obliquely in water appear bent and short explain?

When light travels from water to air, it changes speed and bends, causing the pencil to appear bent. This effect is known as refraction. The change in speed causes the light rays from the pencil to change direction as they pass through the interface between water and air, creating the illusion of a bent pencil.


Why does a spoon in a glass appear to be bent or broken in water?

When light travels from water to air, it changes speed and direction due to the change in the medium's density. This causes the light rays to refract or bend, creating an optical illusion that makes the spoon appear bent or broken at the point where it enters the water.


Why do objects appear to be bent when partially submerged under water?

When light passes from water to air, it changes speed and direction due to the difference in refractive index. This causes the light rays to bend, resulting in what is known as refraction. When we view objects submerged in water from above, the light reflecting off them undergoes refraction, making the objects appear bent at the surface of the water.


Why do a pencil appear to be bent or broken when seen through the side of the glass?

When light passes from air into glass, it changes speed and direction due to refraction. This change in speed causes the light rays to bend, which can create an optical illusion making the pencil appear bent or broken when viewed through the side of the glass.


Why does a straw appear to be bent when placed in a glass of water?

When light travels from one medium to another, such as from air to water, it can change direction. This change in direction is called refraction. As light passes through the water and into the air inside the straw, it refracts again, causing the straw to appear bent at the water's surface.


Why does a straw appear to be bent in a glass of water?

This is due to the principle of refraction. Refraction occurs at the boundary of the two media air and water. When a light ray hits this boundary at an angle, it changes direction and seems to bend. So. the straw appear bent when we look at it through the water glass because light is being bent as it passes through the different media of air, water, and the glass.