1. Refraction:
* Bending of Light: The light wave will bend as it enters the air. This bending is called refraction.
* Direction of Bend: The light wave will bend *away* from the normal (the line perpendicular to the surface of the glass).
* Reason: The speed of light is slower in glass than in air. When the light wave enters air, it speeds up. This change in speed causes the direction of the wave to change, resulting in the bending.
2. Snell's Law:
* Mathematical Relationship: The angle of incidence (the angle between the incoming light wave and the normal) and the angle of refraction (the angle between the refracted light wave and the normal) are related by Snell's Law:
* n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂
* Where:
* n₁ is the refractive index of the glass
* θ₁ is the angle of incidence
* n₂ is the refractive index of air
* θ₂ is the angle of refraction
3. Why the light bends away from the normal:
* The refractive index of glass is higher than that of air. This means that light travels slower in glass. When light enters a less dense medium (air), it speeds up.
* Because the light wave is traveling at an angle, the part of the wave that enters the air first speeds up before the rest of the wave. This causes the wavefront to pivot, resulting in the bending away from the normal.
In Summary:
When a light wave passes from glass to air at an angle, it will refract (bend) away from the normal due to the change in speed and the different refractive indices of the two materials. This bending is governed by Snell's Law.
