Why if a ray pass though different materials its direction changes?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the phenomenon of refraction, which occurs when a ray of light passes through different materials, resulting in a change in direction. This change is attributed to the varying propagation speeds of light in different media, as explained by the wave front theory. When one edge of the wave front enters a new medium first, it experiences a change in velocity, causing the entire wave front to rotate and alter the ray's direction.

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Hello, why if a ray pass though different materials its direction changes ? couldn't its propagation speed just increase or decrease without having to change the angle ?

Thank you
 
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The way I was taught is that light has a wave front that is perpendicular to the direction of travel. When the wave front hits a different medium, one edge of the wave front enters the medium first and its velocity changes. This causes the wave front to rotate and change the direction of the ray.
 

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