The refraction tag has no wiki summary.
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Calculating Apparent Depth at any angle: am I doing it right?
just wanted to check my understanding was right as scientific & mathematical equation notation is all a bit new to me - familiar as I am with equations in a programming context. I need to be able ...
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1answer
74 views
Reflections in a glass of water
I've noticed that if you take a full glass of water and look from above, through the water, you can't see through the glass sides - instead, you see a reflection. I tried with a laser pointer and the ...
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1answer
55 views
Simple Question: Speed of Electromagnetic Waves in a Medium
If the speed of an electromagnetic wave in a particular medium is such that $v = c$, the speed of light, does this mean that the permeability $\mu = \mu_0$, i.e. that of a vacuum and the index of ...
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1answer
67 views
Perfectly focusing refractive surface
On reading Feynman's lecture on physics, in the geometrical optics section he said that a curve which focuses all the rays coming from a point to another fixed point beyond the refracting surface ...
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Any replies would be really appreciated! Please help me? [duplicate]
Help, please!! Is this an example of Diffraction or Refraction, and why? Thanks! Ps its the triangular block near the bottom of the link page
http://www.suntrek.org/factary/r.shtml
Thankyou so ...
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Diffraction or refraction? [closed]
Is this an example of Diffraction or Refraction, and why?
P.S: Its the triangular block near the bottom of this link
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3answers
291 views
Why do prisms work (why is refraction frequency dependent)?
It is well known that a prism can "split light" by separating different frequencies of light:
Many sources state that the reason this happens is that the index of refraction is different for ...
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2answers
66 views
Refraction of light and frequency dependence
Why do higher frequency waves refract more, both ocean waves and light waves? Also why is energy stored in the frequency as opposed to the wavelength.
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2answers
33 views
Penetration of light in the atmosphere
While I was considering an answer to this question, I wondered how much light that enters the atmosphere reaches the ground without colliding with air molecules—if any. I've taken a good bit of ...
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1answer
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Relation of color and frequency for the visible spectrum
In this question the OP is looking for a way to see light that is outside of the visible spectrum without using electronic sensors. This got me wondering about the visible spectrum itself. Typically ...
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1answer
49 views
Apparent and real depth object in water [closed]
Did I get my formula right? Seems like the correct answer is $d_o = 1.33 \times d_i$ but I thought the formula I should use is $d_i = - \frac{n_2}{n_1} d_o$
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2answers
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Physical explanation for why total internal reflection occurs
I have been trying to understand total internal reflection (and have read several posts on this site already). Mathematically, I feel that I understand how the evanescent wave decays exponentially as ...
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2answers
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Increase sound intensity in a wall [closed]
Why it seems that a sound transmitted in a wall is more intense (amplified)?
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1answer
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How much refraction occurs as a fraction of all reflection and refraction?
When light reaches a boundary between materials below the critical angle, some of it refracts and some of it reflects. For example, glass acts as a partial mirror with a dark background.
Assuming ...
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3answers
337 views
Why frequency doesn't change during refraction?
When light goes through one medium to another it's velocity and wavelength changes. Why frequency doesn't change in this phenomenon?
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2answers
181 views
Why does light not refract when incidented perpendicularly?
I had read that light does slow down in glass because photons interact with atoms in glass. They are absorbed and re-emitted and during this phenomenon it's speed decreases. See also this and this ...
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0answers
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Speed of Light in a Medium [duplicate]
For light travelling in a medium with refractive index greater than one:
The "average" speed of light is slower than the speed of light in a vacuum. As far as I know, the instantaneous speed of light ...
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3answers
414 views
Does light change color on its way through a window?
Looking at the refractive index of glass, it's around $1.6$.
Then the speed of light $x$ through light should be given by
$$ 1.6 = \frac{3.0\times10^8}{x}, $$
so $x$ is about ...
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1answer
150 views
Refraction seismology - travel time for wave
I am taking an introductory class in seismology, but have some difficulties understanding the logic behind the formula used to calculate the time it takes for a refracted wave to return to the surface ...
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2answers
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Goldfish perspective
What does the world look like from the Goldfish point of view, from inside a spherical aquarium?
If our eyes were inside, would we be able to see the straight lines, focus on different objects and ...
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3answers
337 views
How do “holographic plates” work?
I asked a question about laser stage lighting over at Audio Video Production, and received an excellent answer that explained that laser clusters are generated from a single beam via something called ...
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1answer
111 views
Colors in the secondary rainbow reverse of that in the primary rainbow
Why the colors of Secondary rainbow is reverse of that in the color in the Primary rainbow?
What can be the possible reason among the following options
Because it is formed by one internal ...
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2answers
151 views
Effect of gas or liquid within a compound lens system
Hi my question is if a compound lens system if filled with gas or a liquid how does it affect the system when compared to the lens system being separated by air alone. Does this affect the focal power ...
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0answers
302 views
Question about the refraction of light in a swimming pool
Here is a homework question that I'm having a hard time understanding:
Out of pure intellectual curiosity you have donned a snorkeling face
mask and allowed yourself to sink to the bottom of the ...
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0answers
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Nonlinear refraction index of vacuum above Schwinger limit
This question is more about trying to feel the waters in our current abilities to compute (or roughly estimate) the refraction index of vacuum, specifically when high numbers of electromagnetic quanta ...
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1answer
67 views
Idea of precursors of the electro-magnetic waves
The idea of the material Maxwell equation is almost clear. But I'm curious about the idea that except for material equation the pure Maxwell equation should work, but in harder sense: more currents ...
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0answers
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Light Group Velocities
I was recently linked this page: Group Velocity
This was after enquiring about the delay of light propagation down a fibre. I come from a telecoms background so I wish to understand the delay for ...
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1answer
72 views
Is it possible to increase refractive index at lower densities?
Are there any materials for which the refractive index decreases with density? It seems that for most materials we would expect there to be a positive correlation between density and refractive index, ...
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1answer
676 views
Index of Refraction
The scenario:
A ray of light strikes the center of the (a) flat surface and (b) curved surface of a semicircular glass medium with the angle of incidences in degrees of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50.
The ...
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2answers
184 views
Refractive index inside a fibre
The refractive index $n$ of a fibre is calculated as;
$$
n = c_0/c_m
$$
Where $c_0\approx 300000km/s$ is the speed of light in a vacuum, and $c_m$ is the speed of light in the fibre in question. How ...
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2answers
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Photon energy - momentum in matter
$E = h\nu$ and $P = h\nu/c$ in vacuum.
If a photon enters water, it's frequency $\nu$ doesn't change.
What are its energy and momentum : $h\nu$ ? and $h\nu/c$ ?
Since part of it's energy and momentum ...
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0answers
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Energy distribution between long- and shearwaves after refraction of sound
From this explanation, I learn that sound is refracted according to Snell's Law upon passing a border between materials of different sound speed.
I also learn that upon passing the border, a mode ...
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3answers
167 views
Difference in velocity of light in change in medium
It is often seen that according to physics the light changes it's velocity according to the medium through which it is traveling. So can it be explained that why so happen?
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1answer
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Refraction and Reflection Seismology
So I am wondering if I got the difference right. Both methods use explosives to send waves into the earth's surface. Now reflection seismology tries to get information from the reflected waves; the ...
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1answer
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Determine when a light is going into the object [closed]
Please look at this image: (http://mypages.iit.edu/~smart/acadyear/refract.gif)
How can I determine when light is going into the object?
Actually, if there is, what is the simplest way to ...
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4answers
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1answer
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Speed of light and virtual particles
After becoming extremely bored while studying for an Afrikaans exam, I started thinking about virtual particles. So, can light (photons) interact with virtual particles (even though they only exist ...
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1answer
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Width of Gaussian Beam and Refractive Index
I know that in free space, the width of a Gaussian beam can be written as $W=W_0\sqrt{1+(\frac{z}{z_0})^{2}}$. However, I was wondering if it was possible to express this width as a function of ...
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2answers
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Refraction, reflection, and what is total reflection?
So if light travels from one media to another with a different refraction index, what may happen happen? Refraction, reflection or total reflection? I am quite confused as to the differences between ...
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Planar Electric Field in Glass, how to express it?
The field must have properties such as planar wave and moving in glass so
$$\bar E=E \left( \hat i t + \hat j \sin(kz-wt) + ...
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Why do rainbows have distinct colors?
When I searched on the Internet for the reason of formation of rainbows, I got many explanations like this one & this. All the explanations consider only one spherical water droplet (like this ...
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How can I estimate the elasto-optic coefficients ($p_{11}$ and $p_{12}$) of a material?
I am attempting to estimate the elasto-optic coefficients ($p_{11}$ and $p_{12}$) of $\mathrm{TiO}_2$ and $\mathrm{ZrO}_2$, where $p_{11}$ and $p_{12}$ refer to the elements of a strain-optic tensor ...
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1answer
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What are the properties of the partially polarized light on refraction?
When a ray of ordinary light is passed on the surface of the water the reflected light will be completely polarized( vibrations in one plane).
My question is what will be plane of vibration in the ...
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1answer
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In electro-optic material, what is happening to the structure of the material for the index of refraction to change?
I apologize if electro-optic material is not the correct word.
As I understand it, when an electric field is applied to an electro-optic material, the index of refraction changes in proportion to the ...
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1answer
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Is the acceleration and deceleration of a wave instantanious?
When an light travels in free space, it has a velocity of propagation equal to the speed of light.
However, then the light enters a medium with a refractive index of n, the velocity of propagation ...
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1answer
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Speed of light is not fixed?
In my research, I found that the speed of light is not fixed. IS it true?
Namely, We know that light refracts when the medium it travels through changes. Actually, light travels in the same medium ...
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4answers
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How to bend light?
As we all know that light travels in rectilinear motion. But can we bend light in parabolic path? If not practically then is it possible in paper? Has anyone succeeded in doing that practically ?
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1answer
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Calculating a Deflection of Light Integral from Einstein's 1907 paper on Gravity and Light
$\frac{1}{c^2}\int_{\theta=-\pi/2}^{\theta=\pi/2} \frac{kM}{r^2}cos\theta ds=2\frac{kM}{c^2\Delta}$
An observation: $\cos\theta=\frac{\Delta}{r}$
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1answer
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Fermat principle: which index of refraction?
I am somewhat puzzled by a common formulation of the Fermat principle (light travel time), because it contains index of refraction related to phase velocity while light travel time through a slab of ...
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4answers
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Light refraction and causality
One way how to look at refraction by a dielectric medium like water or glass is that (phase) velocity of light decreases because it is the wavelength rather than the frequency of the light which ...
