Talk:Refraction
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This seems lacking. Where're the history and mechanism? lysdexia 13:49, 27 Oct 2004 (UTC)
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[edit] Category
in what category would this article be placed in?
- Well I've put it in optics. it might need to go in other categories too though. Theresa Knott (Tart, knees hot) 21:51, 14 Nov 2004 (UTC)
[edit] Image Changes
Hi, this article looked weird on a wide monitor (1920 pixels). The "See Also" section appeared to the right of the eye image, and the whole thing looked cluttered and confusing.. It wasn't clear what image the "In this diagram..." text referred to. On Safari or Firefox, it looked completely broken; the "In this diagram..." text overlapped the eye image. So, I moved the "In this diagram..." text to the image caption, and moved the image to the right. I removed the ripple tank image because it didn't seem that helpful, and there are too many images for the amount of text. Before reverting anything, please look at the old page on a wide monitor on safari or firefox... Pfalstad 8 July 2005 03:41 (UTC)
[edit] improvement
I think this article needs more technical content. 203.98.102.12 19:22, 13 January 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Question About Content
how can the wavelength increase or decrease, yet the frequency remain the same, given that frequency has an inverse relationship to wavelength?
- The wave's velocity is altered at the boundary between the two media. velocity of wave = frequency * wavelength. Frequency remains the same, but wavelength and velocity are both different in the two media. Pfalstad 17:27, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
- Indeed, the wavelength has to change, because light travels slower in a medium than it does in vacuum (or a sparse medium like air). One can imagine the wavefronts "bunching up" as they move into the medium where light propagates slower—the wavelength becomes shorter in the denser medium.--Srleffler 22:30, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Incorrect use of the term Velocity in the first line
The first line says:
"Refraction is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its velocity."
BUT velocity is a vector quantity, meaning it has a magnitude and a direction. Therefore, the use of velocity is incorrect. To my understanding the sentence should either:
1. "Refraction is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its speed."
or
2. "Refraction is the change in direction component of a wave's velocity due to a change in its speed component." (or words to that effect, as that is poorly worded).
may be wrong just though I'd point it out.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Annannienann (talk • contribs) 14:00, November 6, 2006.
- It's not outright wrong, but isn't good wording.--Srleffler 20:08, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Shouldn't wave refraction in the sea (water waves) get a look in?
we have nothing on the refraction of water waves. When I work out what it is, i'll write up on it (included in this article or seperate?)TDN 22:26, 23 November 2006 (UTC)
- It's already in there. There is a paragraph on it, and two pictures.--Srleffler 05:46, 24 November 2006 (UTC)
Is it? I'll have a lookTDN 12:09, 10 December 2006 (UTC) Oh, it is. I wasn't looking carefully enough, but anyway, should there be a separate article about it? It is a different subject, coastal erosion, headlands, bays, beaches, etc. TDN 12:13, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
- I'm not sure that wave refraction in water waves needs its own article. Look around carefully, you may find that there is already a lot of information on the behavior of water waves. Check out Ocean surface wave, Surface wave, and Gravity wave for various approaches to the subject. Coastal erosion may also be of interest.--Srleffler 20:08, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Way too many vague images
At the moment, the images actually make the article appear more sporadic -- there's no real need to have the whole gamete of refraction if there's not that much expansive information. Also, the soda straw thing DOES demonstrate refraction, but it's definately a more finite example of virtual imagery. James S 19:50, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
