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ARAVIND113122
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While changing media,why does light bend? And why does blue light bend more than red? It would be helpful if i get an answer related to molecular composition and interaction of photons with molecules.
Light bends when it passes from one medium to another because of a phenomenon called refraction. This occurs because light travels at different speeds in different materials. When light enters a new medium at an angle, one side of the light wave will enter the new material first and slow down, causing the wave to bend or change direction.
The density of a medium plays a significant role in the bending of light. A higher density means that light will travel slower through that medium, causing a more significant change in direction. In contrast, a lower density will result in less bending of light as it passes through.
The index of refraction is a measure of how much a material slows down the speed of light. It is a ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in that specific material. The higher the index of refraction, the more the light will bend as it passes through the material.
Yes, the wavelength of light does affect its bending. The shorter the wavelength, the more the light will bend as it passes through a material. This is because shorter wavelengths have a higher frequency and, therefore, interact more with the atoms and molecules of the material, causing a more significant deviation in their path.
Light bends towards the normal when entering a denser medium because the higher density of the material causes the light to slow down. As a result, the light waves get closer together, causing them to turn towards the perpendicular line of the boundary between the two media. This is known as a positive angle of refraction.