OpenOptix ABO Study Guide - Laramy-K Optical

Figure 1: Electromagnetic Spectrum – Image source: Wikipedia
Index of Refraction
Light waves travel through transparent media at different speeds. As light moves from
one transparent medium to another, at any angle other than perpendicular to the material
surface, the change in speed will also result in a change in direction. This change is
direction is called refraction. The greater the change in speed, the greater the magnitude
of refraction becomes. Refraction is principle that allows the creation of optical lenses
that alter the path or focus of light.
This document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. 7/30/2009
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