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What is Refraction?
Refraction is a change of direction of a wave.
Any type of wave can be refracted.
We shall look at the refraction
of
Water Waves,
Light
Waves and Waves from Earthquakes.
Refraction can occur when the speed of a wave
changes,
as it moves from one environment (medium) to another.
After refraction, the wave has the same
frequency
but a different speed, wavelength and direction.
When a wave enters a new
environment,
its change in speed will also
change its wavelength
(see the definition of wavelength).
If the wave enters the new
environment at any angle
other than normal to the boundary, then the
change in the wave's speed will
also change its direction.
This is most easily shown with water waves.
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