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Wave front diagrams are used to explain why light refracts when it passes from air into glass - AQA - GCSE Physics: Combined Science - Question 7 - 2019 - Paper 2
Question 7
Wave front diagrams are used to explain why light refracts when it passes from air into glass. Figure 10 shows a ray of red light entering a glass prism. Complete ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Wave front diagrams are used to explain why light refracts when it passes from air into glass - AQA - GCSE Physics: Combined Science - Question 7 - 2019 - Paper 2
Step 1
Explain why the light refracts as it passes from air into glass.
Answer
When light passes from air into glass, its speed decreases due to the higher refractive index of glass compared to air. This lower speed in the denser medium causes the light to change direction at the interface. Specifically, the edge of the wavefront entering the glass slows down, while the part of the wavefront still in the air continues at a higher speed, leading to the bending of the light towards the normal.
Step 2
Step 3
Explain why violet light is refracted the most as it enters water.
Answer
Violet light has the shortest wavelength, approximately 400 nm. Shorter wavelengths travel slower in a medium compared to longer wavelengths. Therefore, as violet light enters water, it undergoes the greatest change in speed and direction, leading to greater refraction than other colors of light.