Refraction of light terms

Why does light change direction when it hits the boundary between air and glass?

Because air has a lower density than glass

What is Density?

The mass per unit volume of a substance

How does the density of a medium affect the speed that a wave will be transmitted through it?

When light enters a denser medium, the waves slow down and are refracted towards the normal, whereas with a less dense medium, the waves speed up and are refracted away from the normal

What is a good way to remember how density affects a medium?

Faster = Away and Slower = Towards

What is a lens?

A shaped piece of transparent glass or plastic that refracts light

What is a convex lens?

A lens that is thicker in the middle than it is at the edges and can be commonly found in cameras to form a clear image of a distant object

What is an Angle of Refraction?

The angle between the normal and the refracted ray

What does it mean to Converge?

To move towards each other

What is Density

The mass per volume unit of an object

What is the Focal length?

The distance between the centre of the lens and the focal point

What is a Medium?

A substance in which energy, specifically waves are transmitted

What is an Oscillation?

A regular repeating motion that can be up and down (left and right, forwards and backwards) and vibrates

What is the rest position?

The undisturbed position of particles when they are not oscillating

What is a Transverse wave?

A wave that travels perpendicular to the direction in which it transfers energy

What is Radiation?

An energy that comes from a source and travels through space