Refraction and bending of light

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the nature of the forces or mechanisms that cause the bending of light during refraction, exploring both classical and quantum perspectives on the phenomenon.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the nature of the force that bends the path of a photon during refraction.
  • Another participant argues that in modern quantum mechanics, the concept of 'force' does not apply to photons in the context of refraction.
  • A different viewpoint suggests that refraction is not due to a force but is instead a result of the difference in the velocity of light in materials with different refractive indices.
  • Additionally, a participant notes that classical wave theory also does not involve a force affecting the direction of wave propagation, emphasizing that the change in path occurs when waves enter a new medium at angles other than 0 or 90 degrees.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether a force is involved in refraction, with some asserting that no force is present while others challenge this notion. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the conceptual understanding of forces in the context of light refraction.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference different models of light, including classical and quantum perspectives, which may imply varying assumptions about the nature of light and refraction. The discussion does not resolve the implications of these models on the understanding of refraction.

sharma_satdev
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please let me know what is the nature of force that bends the path of photon during refraction.
 
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There is no such thing as 'force' in modern, quantum-mechanics, approach.

In naive Newton's mechanistic model of light you may treat photon as a snooker ball, but not at the flat table, but rather on the one with one half lifted a bit comparing to other, so the photon receives impulse perpendicular to the refractive surface as crossing it.
 
There is no force involved in refraction it is caused purely by difference in the velocity of light in the two materials with different refractive indices.
 
Please note that the rules for classical waves also don't have a force altering the direction a wave propagates in. When the index of refraction changes bewteen two mediums the waves will have their path altered if they are entering the new medium at anything other than a 0 or 90 degree angle.
 

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