Snells Law

Describes the path light rays take when they pass through an interface between two media of different densities. It is a formal description of the way light bends when it passes through an interface between two materials with different densities. The law is derived from Snell's equation:

Θr = arcsin [ (sin (Θi) × ni ÷ nr ]

Where:
Θr = the angle of refraction*
Θi = the angle of incidence
ni = the refraction index of medium containing the incident ray*
nr = the refraction index of medium containing the transmitted ray

The equation can be used to determine the path a light ray will take at a surface given knowledge of the densities of the two media and the angle if incidence.

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