Refraction

When light passes through different materials, it bends. This process, called refraction, is used in a variety of applications including lenses and fiber optics. In this unit, you will learn how to describe this process using an equation known as Snell’s Law and how this equation predicts a phenomenon known as Total Internal Reflection. Total Internal Reflection makes fiber optics work. The development of fiber optics has made dramatic changes to the way that people communicate.

Essential Questions:

• What is the Law of Refraction and how does it occur?
• What is Total Internal Reflection and how does it occur?
• Are there any practical applications for total internal reflection?