Results for “Refraction”
10 terms
Refraction
The bending of a light ray as it passes obliquely from one transparent medium into another with a different refractive index.
OpticsCritical Angle
The specific angle of incidence in an optically denser medium for which the angle of refraction in the rarer medium is exactly 90 degrees.
OpticsMirage
An optical illusion caused by continuous refraction of light rays passing through air layers with steep temperature and density gradients.
OpticsRainbow Formation
An optical meteorological phenomenon caused by reflection, refraction, and chromatic dispersion of sunlight inside raindrops.
OpticsFermat's Principle
The fundamental principle stating that light traveling between two points follows the path that requires the stationary (usually minimum)…
Waves, Oscillations & AcousticsHuygens-Fresnel Principle
The wave propagation principle asserting that every point on a wavefront acts as a secondary source of spherical wavelets.
Condensed Matter & Materials PhysicsMetamaterials
Artificially engineered composite structures designed with subwavelength resonant features that display electromagnetic properties not…
Biophysics & Medical PhysicsOptical Tweezers
A biophysical instrument using a strongly focused laser beam to trap, manipulate, and exert piconewton forces on microscopic dielectric…
OpticsSpherical Aberration
An image blur defect in spherical lenses and mirrors where marginal rays focus closer to the element than paraxial central rays.
OpticsTotal Internal Reflection
The complete reflection of a light ray inside an optically denser medium when striking the boundary with a rarer medium at an angle…