Difference between revisions of Refraction

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Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one ~~material~~ into another, and is the underlying mechanism by which a ~~lens~~ is able to focus light.

'''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 term (and also ''Refractrometry'') is also used as the study~~ of ~~the [[Refractive state]] of the eye, by which an [[optometrist]] determines your [[prescription]].~~

== Index of Refraction ==

=~~See Also~~=

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 amount (and direction) of the bending at the interface is dictated by the relative values of the Refractive Indices.

* [[~~Index~~ of ~~Refraction~~]]

* [[~~Chromatic Aberration~~]]

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]]. Higher refractive index is not always better however, 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]].

There is also an element of reflection at the boundary between two media. (Think of how a window into a dark room acts as a mirror on a bright day.) This can be reduced using an '''Anti Reflective Coating''' - a thin film of a material with a Refractive Index of an intermediate value.

== Trial Refraction ==

The term Refraction (and also ''Refractrometry'') is also used as the study of the [[Refractive state]] of the eye, by which an [[optometrist]] determines your ideal [[correction]] for "best corrected [[visual acuity]]". You can do your own trial refraction at home with a [[trial lens kit]].

[[Category:Articles]]

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-Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one material into another, and is the underlying mechanism by which a lens is able to focus light.
+'''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 term (and also ''Refractrometry'') is also used as the study of the [[Refractive state]] of the eye, by which an [[optometrist]] determines your [[prescription]].
+== Index of Refraction ==
-=See Also=
+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 amount (and direction) of the bending at the interface is dictated by the relative values of the Refractive Indices.
-* [[Index of Refraction]]
-* [[Chromatic Aberration]]
+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]].  Higher refractive index is not always better however, 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]].
+There is also an element of reflection at the boundary between two media. (Think of how a window into a dark room acts as a mirror on a bright day.) This can be reduced using an '''Anti Reflective Coating''' - a thin film of a material with a Refractive Index of an intermediate value.
+== Trial Refraction ==
+The term Refraction (and also ''Refractrometry'') is also used as the study of the [[Refractive state]] of the eye, by which an [[optometrist]] determines your ideal [[correction]] for "best corrected [[visual acuity]]".  You can do your own trial refraction at home with a [[trial lens kit]].
+[[Category:Articles]]