Physics 11.2.3a - Snell`s Law

Snell's Law. From the Physics course by Derek Owens. The distance learning class is available at http://www.derekowens.com

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Education

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• Physics
• refraction
• refract
• refraction of light
• Snell
• Snells Law
• homeschool
• distance learning
• Derek Owens

[lollivaleriepop]

shouldn't the refracted ray in water bend away from the normal ?

[derekowens]

@lollivaleriepop Going from air to water, the light would slow down and bend toward the normal. Going from glass to water, the light would speed up and bend away. So it depends on the relative IOR's of the two materials.

[Mirko384]

snell isnt british. he is dutch.

[derekowens]

@Mirko384 Ah, thanks very much for the correction. I'll put the re-recording of this lecture on my to do list.

Thanks,

DO

[27siddarth]

ni should be equel to 1.0003?



[derekowens]

@27siddarth Yes, but we round that to 1.00, and that's close enough when we're refracting from say, air into glass. If we were refracting between air and space, the .0003 would be significant.

[mirumirumiru1]

dude,because of you now i start to understand physics,thx

[da1chick]

Love your videos!!! I'm studying for the MCAT and they are soooo helpful!!! Thank you!

[VipericVampire]

Hello,

Would you mind explaining me why two mediums with a similar index of refection will make the object that is put inside them (like a beaker in a Pyrex test tube filled with oil) invisible to the eye?

[derekowens]

In geometry, we learn that vertical angles are equal. The angles formed from refraction, though, are not exactly vertical angles. Both pairs of rays have to be directly opposite each other for them to be vertical angles. When there is refraction, one of them is bent.