1. Bending towards the normal: The ray of light bends towards the normal, which is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface separating the two media.
2. Decreased speed: The speed of light decreases as it enters the medium with higher refractive index. This is because the light interacts more with the denser medium, causing it to slow down.
3. Change in direction: The angle of incidence (the angle between the incoming ray and the normal) is greater than the angle of refraction (the angle between the refracted ray and the normal). This means the light ray bends towards the normal.
4. Possible total internal reflection: If the angle of incidence is greater than a critical angle, the light will not refract but instead undergo total internal reflection. This means the light will be reflected back into the medium with the lower refractive index.
Here's a visual analogy:
Imagine a car driving from a smooth, open road onto a muddy, rough field. The car will slow down as it enters the mud and will change direction, turning towards the normal (which would be the boundary between the road and the field).
Here are some examples:
* Light traveling from air (low refractive index) to water (high refractive index) will bend towards the normal.
* Light traveling from water (high refractive index) to air (low refractive index) will bend away from the normal.
* Light traveling from glass (high refractive index) to air (low refractive index) at a steep angle can undergo total internal reflection, which is why fiber optic cables work.
Key takeaway: When light travels from a low refractive index to a high refractive index, it bends towards the normal, slows down, and can undergo total internal reflection if the angle of incidence is high enough.
