1. The Speed of Light Changes:
* Light travels at different speeds in different mediums. It travels fastest in a vacuum (like outer space) and slows down when it enters denser materials like glass or water.
2. The Angle of Incidence:
* When light strikes a surface at an angle, it doesn't all enter the new medium at the same time.
* The part of the light wave that hits the surface first slows down before the other parts, causing the wave to bend.
3. Snell's Law:
* This law describes the relationship between the angle of incidence, the angle of refraction (the angle at which the light bends), and the indices of refraction of the two mediums.
4. Why Does the Speed Change?
* Light interacts with the atoms and molecules of the medium. In denser materials, light interacts more frequently, causing it to slow down.
Visualizing the Bending:
Imagine light waves like a row of soldiers marching. When they hit a wall (the boundary between mediums), the soldiers on the side closest to the wall slow down first, causing the whole line to bend.
In Summary:
The bending of light (refraction) occurs because light travels at different speeds in different mediums. This difference in speed causes the light wave to change direction as it enters the new medium.
