angle of refraction

American  

noun

Physics, Optics.

1. the angle between a refracted ray and a line drawn normal to the interface between two media at the point of refraction.

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angle of refraction British  

noun

1. the angle that a refracted beam of radiation makes with the normal to the surface between two media at the point of refraction

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angle of refraction Scientific  

1. The angle formed by the path of refracted light or other radiation and a line drawn perpendicular to the refracting surface at the point where the refraction occurred.

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Etymology

Origin of angle of refraction

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

Taking the boundary between nearly empty space and the atmosphere to be sudden, calculate the angle of refraction for sunlight.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

The laser emerges from the lake into air with an angle of refraction of 67°.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

The angle of refraction depends on the index of refraction, as we saw in The Law of Refraction.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

At what incident angle must 470 nm light enter flint glass to have the same angle of refraction?

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

At other inclinations, the interval will be the difference of the secants from the secant of the inclination, or angle of refraction of the principal beam.

From A History of Science — Volume 3 by Williams, Henry Smith