Light Refraction Simulator (Snell's Law)
Bend a light ray between air, water, glass and diamond and find the critical angle.
Incident angle0°
Refracted angle0°
Critical angle–
Result–
What you can learn
- Snell's law: n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2.
- Light bends toward the normal when entering a higher-index material.
- Total internal reflection happens when going to a lower index above the critical angle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the critical angle?
The incident angle above which light going into a lower-index material cannot refract and is entirely reflected. It equals arcsin(n2 / n1).
What is a refractive index?
The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in the material. Air is about 1.00, water 1.33, glass about 1.5 and diamond 2.42.