Why do light waves refract?

1 Answer
SCooke
Feb 25, 2016

Because the discrete wavelengths of light all have different energies.

Explanation:

Refraction is the bending of a wave when it enters a medium where its speed is different. If you think of the refracting medium as a resistance to light flow, then because the different light wavelengths have different energies, they will pass through at different rates. The physically observed result of that is refraction.

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