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Rays, normals, reflection and refraction

Rays, normals, reflection and refraction

Ray diagram of incident, reflected, and refracted rays at an air-glass boundary with the normal and angles labelled

Light is a transverse wave, so its vibrations are at right angles to the direction of energy transfer. In ray diagrams, a ray shows the direction light travels and the normal is a line drawn at 90∘90^\circ90∘ to the surface.

Light and sound Lesson

  1. IGCSE
  2. /Physics
  3. /Light and sound

Step-by-step lessons covering Edexcel IGCSE Physics Light and sound for IGCSE Physics. Each lesson works through exam-style questions in Paper 1 and Paper 2 format. Build a strong foundation in mechanics and electricity before tackling the more mathematically demanding astrophysics and nuclear topics.