![]() Since light waves are small (on the order of 400 to 700 nanometers), diffraction only occurs through small openings or over small grooves. Why does a longer wavelength diffract more? A light ray that passes through a glass prism is refracted or bent. For example, water waves moving across deep water travel faster than those moving across shallow water. … Refraction occurs with any kind of wave. Refraction is caused by the wave’s change of speed. As waves travel into the denser medium, they slow down and wavelength decreases. When waves travel from one medium to another the frequency never changes. Wave speed, frequency and wavelength in refractionĪlthough the wave slows down, its frequency remains the same, due to the fact that its wavelength is shorter. Does wavelength change during refraction? The amount of bending depends on two things: Change in speed – if a substance causes the light to speed up or slow down more, it will refract (bend) more. ![]() When light enters a more dense substance (higher refractive index), it ‘bends’ more towards the normal line. The amount of diffraction depends on the wavelength of light, with shorter wavelengths being diffracted at a greater angle than longer ones (in effect, blue and violet light are diffracted at a higher angle than is red light). This causes those frequencies of light to travel more slowly and be refracted more.” Do shorter wavelengths diffract more? “ Higher frequencies of light are refracted more because objects are more likely to absorb higher frequency light.
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