To break the natural course of, as rays of light orr heat, when passing from one transparent medium to another of different density; to cause to deviate from a direct course by an action distinct from reflection; as, a dense medium refrcts the rays of light as they pass into it from a rare medium
When a ray of light or a sound wave refracts or is refracted, the path it follows bends at a particular point, for example when it enters water or glass. As we age the lenses of the eyes thicken, and thus refract light differently. surfaces that cause the light to reflect and refract. + refraction re·frac·tion the refraction of the light on the dancing waves. if glass or water refracts light, the light changes direction when it passes through the glass or water (past participle of refringere , from frangere )
determine the refracting power of (a lens) subject to refraction; "refract a light beam
When light bends at an interface between two transparent materials We find many things in our everyday experience refracting light: glass, water, air, plastic The illusion of a broken leg dangling in the pool is due to the refraction of light See also index of refraction
the bending of electromagnetic radiation by its passage through a medium of a high refractive index Light is refracted by passing through a lens, water, or the atmosphere
The change of direction of propagation of any wave, such as an electromagnetic wave, when it passes from one medium to another in which the wave velocity is different Simply put, the bending of incident rays as they pass from one medium to another, such as air to water
The process in which the direction of energy propagation is changed as the result of a change in density within the propagating medium, or as the energy passes through the interface representing a density discontinuity between two media In the first instance the rays undergo a smooth bending over a finite distance In the second case the index of refraction changes through an interfacial layer that is thin compared to the wavelength of the radiation; thus, the refraction is abrupt, essentially discontinuous See atmospheric refraction Compare reflection, diffraction, scattering
Change in direction of a wave as it leaves one medium and enters another. Waves, such as sound and light waves, travel at different speeds in different media. When a wave enters a new medium at an angle of less than 90°, the change in speed occurs sooner on one side of the wave than on the other, causing the wave to bend, or refract. When water waves approach shallower water at an angle, they bend and become parallel to the shore. Refraction explains the apparent bending of a pencil when it is partly immersed in water and viewed from above the surface. It also causes the optical illusion of the mirage
(1) The deflection, or bending, of the ray path of a seismic wave caused by its passage from one material to another having different elastic properties (2) Bending of a tsunami wave front owing to variations in the water depth along a coastline
The change in the direction of a ray of light, and, consequently, in the apparent position of a heavenly body from which it emanates, arising from its passage through the earth's atmosphere; hence distinguished as atmospheric refraction, or astronomical refraction
The bending of a beam of light through an interface between two dissimilar media or in a medium whose refractive index is a continuous function of position (such as graded-index fiber)
The phenomenon of a beam of light bending as the light's velocity changes This occurs when the refractive index of the material through which the light is passing changes Let i be the normalized incident ray vector (pointing towards the surface), which has unit surface normal n If t is the transmitted (refracted) vector inside a transparent medium, then: where is the ratio of the refractive indices of the inside and outside media (See Snell's law )
The bending of light at a particular angle as it passes through a transparent medium (such as glass or water) Rainbows are causes by light refracting and reflecting (twice) inside raindrops
When a ray of light passes from one medium to another, the difference in the speed of light in the medium results in an apparent bending of the light at the interface This is known as refraction See the section on specular transmission for details
The bending of a beam of light at an interface between two dissimilar media or in a medium whose refractive index is a continuous function of position (graded-index medium)
the bending of waves when they pass from one transparent medium (or vacuum) to another (e g , sunlight bending as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere)
The correction which is to be deducted from the apparent altitude of a heavenly body on account of atmospheric refraction, in order to obtain the true altitude
(1) The deflection of the ray path of a seismic wave caused by its passage from one material to another having different elastic properties (2) Bending of a tsunami wave front owing to variations in the water depth along a coastline
The change in the direction of ray of light, heat, or the like, when it enters obliquely a medium of a different density from that through which it has previously moved
The bending of a beam of light at an interface between two dissimilar media or a medium whose refractive index is a continuous function of position (graded index medium)
The change in direction of a ray of light in oblique passage from one transparent medium to another of different density, caused by the effect of a change of velocity of the light waves
[ ri-'frakt ] (transitive verb.) 1612. * From Latin refractum, the neutralal inflection of refractus, the past participle of refringere, itself from re- 'again' + frangere 'to break'.