Difference between revisions of Refraction
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'''Refraction''' is the bending of light as it passes from one medium into another, and is the underlying mechanism by which a lens is able to focus light. The '''Refractive Index''' (or '''Index of Refraction''') of a material is the degree to which the speed of light is reduced in that material, relative to vacuum. The degree (and direction) of the bending at the interface is dictated by the relative values of the Refractive Indices. | '''Refraction''' is the bending of light as it passes from one medium into another, and is the underlying mechanism by which a lens is able to focus light. The '''Refractive Index''' (or '''Index of Refraction''') of a material is the degree to which the speed of light is reduced in that material, relative to vacuum. The degree (and direction) of the bending at the interface is dictated by the relative values of the Refractive Indices. | ||
The Refractive | The Refractive Index of air is close to 1 ; that of glass is around 1.5. The higher the Refractive Index, the thinner a lens needs to be in order to achieve a given [[Focal Length]]. | ||
The Refractive Index typically varies depending on the wavelength of light, which means that different colors of the spectrum will bend to different degrees, leading to [[Chromatic Aberration]]. | The Refractive Index typically varies depending on the wavelength of light, which means that different colors of the spectrum will bend to different degrees, leading to [[Chromatic Aberration]]. | ||