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Refraction of Light

Refraction describes the change in the direction of propagation of light rays when they pass from one medium into another. This effect occurs because the speed of light varies in different media, depending on their optical density. When light enters a medium with a higher density (e.g., glass or water) from a medium with a lower density (e.g., air), it is refracted toward the normal. Conversely, it is refracted away from the normal when it passes into a medium with a lower density.

Refraction is responsible for numerous optical phenomena, such as the separation of light rays in a prism—which makes the colors of light visible—or the formation of rainbows through the refraction and reflection of light in water droplets. It is also an essential mechanism in optical devices such as lenses, which focus or disperse light, and has applications in eyeglasses, microscopes, and cameras.

Eine Gruppe fröhlicher junger Menschen lächelt gemeinsam in einem sonnigen Park.

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