The word "refracted" is spelled with the letters R-E-F-R-A-C-T-E-D. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is spelled /rəˈfræktəd/. The first syllable, "re," is pronounced as a schwa sound, followed by the stress on the second syllable, "frac." The "t" at the end of the word is pronounced as a soft "d" sound due to the preceding vowel sound. The word means to bend or change the direction of light, sound, or heat as it passes through a medium.
Refracted is the past tense of the verb "refract," which refers to the bending or changing of a beam of light or a wave as it passes from one medium to another. It is a concept closely associated with the field of physics, specifically optics, and is characterized by the alteration of the direction of the light or wave when it transitions between different substances or densities.
When light encounters a boundary between two different mediums, such as air and water, the change in density causes the light to change its speed. As a result, the angle of the incident light beam is modified or altered at the boundary, leading to a shift in its direction. This phenomenon is known as refraction. The change in the angle of the light beam is the refracted light.
Refracted light manifests in various ways, such as the bending of a pencil when partially submerged in water or the appearance of a rainbow due to the refraction and dispersion of sunlight through water droplets in the atmosphere.
Aside from light, other types of waves, such as sound or seismic waves, can also be refracted when they transition between different materials or mediums of varying densities or properties.
In summary, when something is described as refracted, it means that a source of light or a wave has changed direction or bent as it passed from one medium to another due to differences in density or materials.
Bent back at an acute angle.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
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The word "refracted" is derived from the Latin word "refractus". "Refractus" is the past participle of the verb "refringere", which means "to break open" or "to break apart". In the context of optics, the term "refraction" refers to the bending or change in direction of light as it passes from one medium to another, such as when light passes from air to water. Hence, "refracted" describes the action of light being broken or bent when it passes through a medium that causes a change in its speed, resulting in a change in its direction.