What is Snell's Law Using Wave Theory?
GeneralClass 12AllAnswered 27 Mar 2026
Answer
Using wave theory, Snell's Law can be derived from the principle that the freuency of light remains constant as it passes between media, but its wavelength and speed change. Since the wavefronts must remain continuous at the boundary, the relationship becomes: λ₁ / λ₂ = v₁ / v₂ = sin θ₁ / sin θ₂, where λ represents wavelength and v represents velocity. This connects to the refractive index formula, as n = c/v (speed of light in vacuum divided by speed in medium).
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