Refraction of Light – Rolling Barrel
07/03/2022
Index of Refraction
The index of refraction is the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in any material or medium.
The speed of the lifeguard at sea is slower than the speed of him on the shore. Therefore, the index of the sea is greater than the index of the beach.
Snell’s Law
Light chooses the fastest path, not the shortest path. Since the lifeguard must also choose the fastest path, it must follow a path like the path that light follows when passing from one medium to another.
