Article
Article
Refraction of waves
Article By:
Stewart, John W. Department of Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Last reviewed:March 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.577400
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- Refraction of waves, published December 2014:Download PDF
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The change of direction of propagation of any wave phenomenon which occurs when the wave velocity changes. As a term, refraction is most frequently applied to visible light (Fig. 1), but it also applies to all other electromagnetic waves, as well as to sound and water waves. See also: Electromagnetism; Light; Photon; Sound; Wave (physics); Wave mechanics; Wave motion; Wave optics
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