298 Chapter 9 Waves and Light Copyright © 2003 Nelson

Instructional Master

Refraction of Waves

LSM 9.1-5

normal

incident wave ray

higher speed(deep water)

lower speed(shallow water)

boundary

refractedwave ray

� R

� R

� i

� i

normal

incident wave ray

higher speed(deep water)

lower speed(shallow water) boundary

refractedwave ray

�i�

�i�

�R�

�R�

Figure 5(a) When water waves travel obliquely into a slower medium, the wave ray bends toward the normal. (b) If the new medium is a faster one, the wave ray bends away from the normal.

(a) (b)