Refraction results from differences in light's

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When analyzing what causes refraction, we need to connect the phenomenon to how light behaves at boundaries between media.
Option a: frequency. In refraction, the frequency of light remains unchanged when it passes into a different medium; only its speed and wavelength change. Since frequency is conserved across a boundary, this option misattributes the cause of refraction.
Option b: amplitude. Amplitude relates to the brightness or intensity of the light, which can change due to reflection, absorption, or transmission at the boundary, but these changes are not the defining reason for refraction itself. Refraction is about direction change due to speed variation, not the amplitude shift.
Option c: speed. Refraction arises precisely because light travels at different speeds in different media. The change in speed leads to a change in wavelength and a bending of the light’s path according to Snell’s law. This is the core physical mechanism behind refraction.
Option d: all of these. Since frequency and amplitude are not the primary technical causes of refraction, this blanket choice is incorrect.
Option e: none of these. This would be false because speed is indeed the key factor driving refraction, so this option misstates the situation.
In summary, the essential cause of refraction is the change in light’s speed as it enters a new medium, which alters the propagation direction according to the boundary conditions and Snell’s law. The other options either describe properties that do not drive refraction (frequency and amplitude) or incorrectly claim that multiple unrelated factors are responsible.

MUF0122 Physics Unit 2 - Semester 2, 2025 2.19 Reflection, refraction, dispersion, polarisation and diffraction

Refraction results from differences in light's

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