Angle of refraction

The angle of refraction measures the angle to which light bends as it crosses the boundary between different media.

  • The angle of refraction is measured between the bent ray and an imaginary line called the normal.
  • In optics, the normal is a line drawn on a ray diagram perpendicular to, so at a right angle to (900), the boundary between two media.
  • Snell’s law is a formula used to describe the relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction when light crosses the boundary between transparent media, such as water and air or water and glass.