Reflexión y refracción de la luz

Understanding Light: Reflection and Refraction

What is Light?

• Light is a form of energy that illuminates our surroundings, allowing us to see objects.

• A ray of light can undergo various physical phenomena, including reflection and refraction.

Reflection of Light

• Reflection occurs when light rays hit a surface, bounce off, and return to the medium from which they originated.

• All materials reflect light to some degree; however, the extent varies. For instance:

• Mirrors reflect most of the light.

• Opaque objects like coins, wood, and plastic reflect very little light.

• An interesting application of reflection is in periscopes, which use mirrors to allow submarines to see above water while submerged.

Refraction of Light

• Refraction happens when light rays pass through a transparent medium (like water), changing direction as they enter another medium.

• When an object (e.g., a pencil) is placed in water, it appears bent or broken due to the change in speed of light as it moves from air into water.