Why is Refracted Angle > Incident Angle?

[Dunkaroos]

Why is it that the refracted angle > the incident when light moves from a more dense material to a less dense?

Is there any way to explain why the angle would be greater?

I know the velocity would increase.
wavelength increases.
Frequency remains the same.
Correct?

 

[Doc Al]

Why is it that the refracted angle > the incident when light moves from a more dense material to a less dense?

Is there any way to explain why the angle would be greater?

Are you familiar with Snell's law?

I know the velocity would increase.
wavelength increases.
Frequency remains the same.
Correct?

Correct.

 

[berkeman]

And as you look at the explanation of Snell's law, think about how the shape of the light wavefront changes as it hits the boundary at an angle. Make a sketch of the wavefront as it changes directions at the boundary, and be accurate in your representation of the change in wavelength near the boundary on both sides...

 

[Dunkaroos]

I understand it matematically but Snell's law but is there another way to explain it?

 

[arunbg]

Berkeman was simply referring to the derivetion of Snell's law , not the final eqn.
Using Huygens constructions for wavefronts, one can clearly see why the ray bends towards the normal ( since frequenc
y is conserved in both mediums).