VHI Tech Lab

Refraction of Light Simulator

Light bends towards the normal.
Intensity Meter
— Place probe on a ray
Speed Meter
— Place probe on a ray
Ray Timer
— Place probes A and B

Observation Table

Trial Medium 1 n₁ Medium 2 n₂ Incidence θ₁ Refraction θ₂ Reflection Condition Conclusion
No observations recorded yet.

Test Yourself

1. When light travels from air to glass, it bends:

2. Which formula represents Snell’s Law?

3. Total internal reflection happens when light travels:

4. If refractive index is high, the speed of light in that medium is:

Formula & Explanation

n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂
Enter the known optical values to calculate the missing quantity.

Experiment Help Guide

Learning Objective:
Students will observe how light changes direction when it travels from one medium to another. They will measure angle of incidence, angle of reflection, angle of refraction, verify Snell’s Law, and understand total internal reflection.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Select the top medium and bottom medium.
  2. Change the angle of incidence using the slider.
  3. Observe the incident ray, reflected ray, and refracted ray.
  4. Compare air → water, air → glass, and glass → air.
  5. Click Record observation to save each trial.
  6. Use TIR Preset to demonstrate total internal reflection.

Important Concepts

  • Refraction: bending of light when it passes from one medium to another.
  • Refractive index: tells how much a medium slows light.
  • Towards normal: happens when light enters a denser medium.
  • Away from normal: happens when light enters a rarer medium.
  • Total internal reflection: happens from denser to rarer medium above critical angle.
n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂