snell's law

Question

Snell's law for refraction is n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2. It arises from conservation of?

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

1. **Refraction Physics**: When light travels from one medium to another, its speed and wavelength change.
2. **Invariance of Frequency**: The frequency of a wave is determined by the source and does **not** change when the wave passes through different media ($f_1 = f_2$).
3. **Snell's Law Derivation**: Since $v = f\lambda$, and $n = c/v$, we can relate the indices and angles. The continuity of the phase at the boundary requires the 'matching' of wave vectors.
4. **Key Relationship**: $n_1 \sin 	heta_1 = n_2 \sin 	heta_2$ effectively ensures that the periodic oscillations stay in sync across the interface.
5. **Conclusion**: The phenomenon is consistent with the conservation of **frequency** (and the overall energy of the photon $E = hf$).

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Snell's law at interface n1, n2 is: