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Snell's Law and Refraction
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About This Experiment
Investigate how light bends when passing between different media using Snell's law: n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂. The refractive index (n) determines how much light slows down in each medium compared to vacuum. Light bends toward the normal when entering a denser medium and away from the normal when entering a less dense medium.
Observe total internal reflection when light travels from a denser to less dense medium at angles greater than the critical angle θc = arcsin(n₂/n₁). This principle enables optical fibers and explains phenomena like the sparkle in diamonds.