What does Snell's Law describe?

Study for the Optics 7 Test with flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Prepare to ace your exam!

Snell's Law describes the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction when light passes from one medium to another with different indices of refraction. Specifically, it states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence (the angle between the incident ray and the normal) to the sine of the angle of refraction (the angle between the refracted ray and the normal) is constant and is equal to the ratio of the indices of refraction of the two media. This can be expressed in the equation:

n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2),

where n1 and n2 are the indices of refraction for the first and second mediums, and θ1 and θ2 are the respective angles of incidence and refraction. This principle is fundamental in understanding how light behaves when transitioning between different materials, such as air to glass, which is crucial in optics and lens design, among other applications.

The other options do not accurately represent the scope of Snell's Law. The first option deals with light intensity rather than angles and refraction. The second option refers specifically to reflections, which are not part of Snell's Law but relate more to the law of reflection. Lastly, the

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