Physics: Light Refraction

Objectives

• Students will observe the path of light as it moves from one medium to another.
• Students will relate the angle of incidence to the angle of refraction.
• Student will determine the equation relating the angle of incidence, angle of refraction, and the refractive index of each medium that light is passing through.

Vocabulary

• angle of incidence
• angle of refraction
• refractive index
• Snell’s Law

About the Lesson

This lesson visually explores refraction of light as it passes through different substances with different indexes of light.
As a result, students will:

• Understand the how light is bent when it passes through a different medium.
• Be able to calculate the angle of refraction based on the ratio of the indexes of refraction