light refraction
Prism's splitting trick
Light refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another—from air into water, for example, or from air through glass.
The change in speed causes the light to change direction.
Refraction explains why a straw in a glass of water appears bent, why lenses focus images, and why prisms split white light into a spectrum.
- causticsSubstances that burn chemically
- lensesCurved transparent refractors
- rainbowRefracted light arc
- mirageAtmospheric optical deception
- heat shimmerOptical distortion from warmth
optical illusion · optical path length · fiber optics · critical angle · wavefront · halo · microscopes · angle of incidence · dispersion · scintillation · ray tracing · bend · glass · water · snell · crystal · angle · wavelength
- science experimentsvolcano model, elephant toothpaste, color change, slime making, baking soda volcano
- opticslens, lenses, mirror, mirrors, prism
- science diagramsanatomical drawings, DNA helix, periodic table, star charts, circuit diagrams
- visual phenomenaoptical illusion, phosphenes, mirage, afterimage, afterimages
- optical illusionsoptical illusion, optical illusions, trompe l'oeil, impossible stairs, duck-rabbit
- science suppliesmicroscopes, microscope, beakers, test tubes, beaker
light refractionlight reflection
Redirected luminance from surfaces
reflection · specular reflection · diffuse reflection · mirror reflection · light absorption
light refractionlight absorption
Matter capturing radiant energy
absorption · opacity · attenuation · extinction · obstruction