Difference between revisions of "Refraction"

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It is commonly believed that the absolute value of the refractive index is what causes electromagnetic radiation to bend. This is an incorrect view.
 
It is commonly believed that the absolute value of the refractive index is what causes electromagnetic radiation to bend. This is an incorrect view.
it is the relative refractive index along an [[arbitrary]] path that determines a change of direction.
+
The change of direction of electromagnetic radiation occurs when an [[absolute refractive index]] along an [[arbitrary]] path of travel <u>changes</u>.
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 20:39, 31 March 2020

General Description

Refraction is the word used to describe the phenomenon of a change in the direction an electromagnetic wave travels in.[1] Electromagnetic radiation (which includes light) is observed to change direction when it's velocity changes. How much the velocity differs from the velocity in a vacuum is commonly called the refractive index. The vacuum value is set to 1 for all wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.


This property of a medium has a few different names.

NAME
Index of Refraction
Refractive Index
Optical Density
Relative permittivity and permeability

Mechanisms of Refraction

It is commonly believed that the absolute value of the refractive index is what causes electromagnetic radiation to bend. This is an incorrect view. The change of direction of electromagnetic radiation occurs when an absolute refractive index along an arbitrary path of travel changes.

References