Explain the laws of refraction and how they are... - SS2 Physics Geometrical Optics Question

The laws of refraction describe the behaviour of light as it passes from one medium to another. The first law states that the incident ray, the refracted ray, and the normal to the interface between the two media all lie in the same plane. The second law states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is equal to the ratio of the speeds of light in the two media. Mathematically, this can be expressed as Snell's Law: n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂, where n₁ and n₂ are the refractive indices of the two media, and θ₁ and θ₂ are the angles of incidence and refraction, respectively.

These laws are essential in understanding the behaviour of light when it enters a different medium. For example, when light passes from air to water, it undergoes refraction due to the change in speed. This is why a straw appears to bend when partially submerged in a glass of water.