Snell’s law of refraction

E26832

Snell’s law of refraction is a fundamental principle in optics that relates the angles of incidence and refraction to the refractive indices of two media, governing how light bends when passing between them.

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Generate an image of Snell’s law of refraction (Snell’s law of refraction is a fundamental principle in optics that relates the angles of incidence and refraction to the refractive indices of two media, governing how light bends when passing between them.)

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Snell's law 4
Snell–Descartes law 2
Snell’s law 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf law of optics ⓘ
law of refraction ⓘ
physical law ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Snell–Descartes law ⓘ
Snell’s law ⓘ
angleMeasuredFrom normal to the interface ⓘ
appliesTo electromagnetic waves ⓘ
infrared radiation ⓘ
light rays ⓘ
microwaves ⓘ
transition between two homogeneous media ⓘ
visible light ⓘ
wavefronts at planar interfaces ⓘ
assumes isotropic media ⓘ
linear media ⓘ
monochromatic light ⓘ
non-absorbing media ⓘ
connects speed of light in different media ⓘ
consequenceOf wave nature of light ⓘ
derivedFrom Fermat’s principle of least time ⓘ
Huygens’ principle ⓘ
describes refraction of light ⓘ
equationForm n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2) ⓘ
expressibleAs n = c / v ⓘ
field geometrical optics ⓘ
optics ⓘ
governs bending of light at an interface ⓘ
hasLimitation does not directly account for anisotropic crystals ⓘ
historicallyAttributedTo Willebrord Snellius ⓘ
implies light bends away from normal when entering lower index medium ⓘ
light bends toward normal when entering higher index medium ⓘ
ratio of sines of angles equals ratio of refractive indices ⓘ
mathematicalType trigonometric relation ⓘ
relatedTo critical angle ⓘ
law of reflection ⓘ
total internal reflection ⓘ
relates angle of incidence ⓘ
angle of refraction ⓘ
refractive index of media ⓘ
symbolDefinition n1 is refractive index of first medium ⓘ
n2 is refractive index of second medium ⓘ
θ1 is angle of incidence ⓘ
θ2 is angle of refraction ⓘ
usedIn design of lenses ⓘ
design of prisms ⓘ
fiber optics ⓘ
optical imaging systems ⓘ
ray tracing calculations ⓘ
refractive index measurements ⓘ
validWhen wavelength is much smaller than system dimensions ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Newtonian optics → usesConcept → Snell’s law of refraction ⓘ
Snell’s law of refraction → alsoKnownAs → Snell’s law ⓘ
linked to: Snell’s law of refraction
Snell’s law of refraction → alsoKnownAs → Snell–Descartes law ⓘ
linked to: Snell’s law of refraction
Fresnel equations → relatedTo → Snell's law ⓘ
linked to: Snell’s law of refraction
Dioptrique → formulates → Snell–Descartes law ⓘ
linked to: Snell’s law of refraction
Willebrord Snellius → notableFor → Snell's law ⓘ
linked to: Snell’s law of refraction
Willebrord Snellius → discovered → Snell's law ⓘ
linked to: Snell’s law of refraction
An Introduction to the Theory of Optics → covers → Snell's law ⓘ
linked to: Snell’s law of refraction