| Term | Definition |
|---|
| refraction | the bending of a wave disturbance as it passes at an angle from one medium into another |
| index of refraction | the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its speed in a given transparent medium |
| lens | a transparent object that refracts light rays, causing them to converge or diverge to create an image |
| total internal reflection | the complete reflection of light at the boundary of two transparent media; this effect occurs when the angle of incidence exceeds the critical angle |
| critical angle | the minimum angle of incidence for which total internal reflection occurs |
| dispersion | the process of separating polychromatic light into its component wavelengths |
| chromatic aberration | the focusing of different colors of light at different distances behind a lens |
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