The model calculates transmission at a flat interface using Snell's law and approximate refractive indices. Frequency remains fixed as light crosses the stationary boundary, while speed and wavelength change. Only incidence from air into water or glass is offered, avoiding a false transmitted ray under total internal reflection. Surface reflections are not drawn.
Light, sound and electricity · Discover & try
Why does light bend at a boundary?
Reading level 5 of 5 · AdvancedChange
Word help
refraction
A change in light direction across a material boundary.
refractive index
A ratio describing light speed in a material.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
The interactive activity is loading.
Flat air-to-material interface using approximate visible-light indices; reflected light is omitted.
What to look for
- The normal stays fixed
- Glass and water bend differently
- Straight entry has no sideways bend
Explain what you noticed
A ray enters glass from air at 50° from the normal. How does its transmitted angle compare?
Keep this idea: Compare direction with the normal while holding the incoming angle fixed.
Follow the sources
- OpenStax / Rice University — The Law of Refraction
- NASA / Smithsonian Chandra — Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
Keep following the idea
Next discovery →