WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Snell's Law of Refraction (Wave Fronts)

angle to normal (radians)

1

top refractive index

1

top material

vacuum

air

water

glass

diamond

bottom refractive index

1.33

bottom material

vacuum

air

water

glass

diamond

time

frequency

Light travels at different speeds through different materials, causing it to bend according to Snell's law. Here light is represented by traveling wave fronts coming from a light source above the boundary between two materials.