Wave Refraction
Huygen's principle meets Snell's law. Watch wavefronts bend as they cross into a medium with different refractive index. Click to place the wave source. Each line shows where the wavefront arrives simultaneously.
n₁ (left)
1.00
n₂ (right)
1.50
Wavelength
30
Speed
1.0
Snell's law: n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂ |
Speed in medium: v = c/n |
θ_c = —