Definitions for Refraction
rɪˈfræk ʃənre·frac·tion

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. refractionnoun

   the change in direction of a propagating wave (light or sound) when passing from one medium to another

2. deflection, deflexion, refractionnoun

   the amount by which a propagating wave is bent

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. refractionnoun

   The turning or bending of any wave, such as a light or sound wave, when it passes from one medium into another of different optical density.

2. refractionnoun

   The degree to which a metal or compound can withstand heat

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Refractionnoun

   Refraction, in general, is the incurvation or change of determination in the body moved, which happens to it whilst it enters or penetrates any medium: in dioptricks, it is the variation of a ray of light from that right line, which it would have passed on in, had not the density of the medium turned it aside. John Harris

   Etymology: refraction, Fr.

   Refraction, out of the rarer medium into the denser, is made towards the perpendicular. Isaac Newton, Opticks.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Refraction

   In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commonly observed phenomenon, but other waves such as sound waves and water waves also experience refraction. How much a wave is refracted is determined by the change in wave speed and the initial direction of wave propagation relative to the direction of change in speed. For light, refraction follows Snell's law, which states that, for a given pair of media, the ratio of the sines of the angle of incidence θ1 and angle of refraction θ2 is equal to the ratio of phase velocities (v1 / v2) in the two media, or equivalently, to the refractive indices (n2 / n1) of the two media. sin ⁡ θ 1 sin ⁡ θ 2 = v 1 v 2 = n 2 n 1 {\displaystyle {\frac {\sin \theta _{1}}{\sin \theta _{2}}}={\frac {v_{1}}{v_{2}}}={\frac {n_{2}}{n_{1}}}} Optical prisms and lenses use refraction to redirect light, as does the human eye. The refractive index of materials varies with the wavelength of light, and thus the angle of the refraction also varies correspondingly. This is called dispersion and causes prisms and rainbows to divide white light into its constituent spectral colors.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. refraction

   Refraction is a physics concept that refers to the change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another caused by its change in speed - such as the bending of light or sound waves. This can make objects appear different in size, shape, or color. The amount of refraction is determined by the difference in speed of the wave in the two different mediums and is described by Snell's Law.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Refractionnoun

   the act of refracting, or the state of being refracted

2. Refractionnoun

   the change in the direction of ray of light, heat, or the like, when it enters obliquely a medium of a different density from that through which it has previously moved

3. Refractionnoun

   the change in the direction of a ray of light, and, consequently, in the apparent position of a heavenly body from which it emanates, arising from its passage through the earth's atmosphere; -- hence distinguished as atmospheric refraction, or astronomical refraction

4. Refractionnoun

   the correction which is to be deducted from the apparent altitude of a heavenly body on account of atmospheric refraction, in order to obtain the true altitude

5. Etymology: [F. rfraction.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Refraction

   Refraction is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its optical medium. Refraction is essentially a surface phenomenon. The phenomenon is mainly in governance to the law of conservation of energy and momentum. Due to change of medium, the phase velocity of the wave is changed but its frequency remains constant. This is most commonly observed when a wave passes from one medium to another at any angle other than 90° or 0°. Refraction of light is the most commonly observed phenomenon, but any type of wave can refract when it interacts with a medium, for example when sound waves pass from one medium into another or when water waves move into water of a different depth. Refraction is described by Snell's law, which states that for a given pair of media and a wave with a single frequency, the ratio of the sines of the angle of incidence θ1 and angle of refraction θ2 is equivalent to the ratio of phase velocities in the two media, or equivalently, to the opposite ratio of the indices of refraction: In general, the incident wave is partially refracted and partially reflected; the details of this behavior are described by the Fresnel equations.

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Refraction

   . Light travels in straight lines; but when a ray travelling through one medium passes obliquely into another of either greater or less density it is bent at the point of incidence. This bending or breaking is called refraction. The apparent bend in a stick set sloping in a sheet of water is due to this phenomenon, as are also many mirages and other optical illusions.

Dictionary of Military and Associated TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. refraction

   The process by which the direction of a wave is changed when moving into shallow water at an angle to the bathymetric contours. The crest of the wave advancing in shallower water moves more slowly than the crest still advancing in deeper water, causing the wave crest to bend toward alignment with the underwater contours.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. refraction

   An inflection of the rays of light: that property of the atmosphere which bends the rays of light in their passage to the eye from a different density, and causes the altitude of heavenly bodies to appear greater than it really is, especially near the horizon. (See TERRESTRIAL REFRACTION.)

Matched Categories

1. • Bending
   • Physical Phenomenon

Anagrams for Refraction »

1. for certain

How to pronounce Refraction?

1. Alex

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How to say Refraction in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Refraction in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Refraction in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of Refraction in a Sentence

1. Isaac Newton:

   Did blind chance know that there was light and what was its refraction, and fit the eyes of all creatures after the most curious manner to make use of it? These and other suchlike considerations, always have, and always will prevail with mankind, to believe that there is a Being who made all things, who has all things in his power, and who is therefore to be feared.

2. Steven Lee:

   The bottom line with subjective refraction is, it's dependent on how the patient is responding, i'm very confident in how our practitioners and how ophthalmologists who work with us prescribe prescriptions in the end.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Refraction
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Refraction
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Refraction
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refraction
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Refraction
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Refraction
8. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Refraction
9. ^ Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
   https://www.tradoc.army.mil/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/AD1029823-DOD-Dictionary-of-Military-and-Associated-Terms-2017.pdf
10. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
    https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=Refraction