What is the equation for Snell's Law?

Snell's Law describes how light refracts as it passes through different media, and it is fundamental in understanding optical phenomena. The law states that the ratio of the sines of the angles of incidence and refraction is equivalent to the ratio of the velocities of light in the two media, which can also be expressed in terms of the refractive indices of the media.

The correct equation effectively expresses this relationship as the sine of the angle of incidence divided by the sine of the angle of refraction. This means that if one knows the angle of incidence (the angle between the incoming light and the normal to the surface) and the angle of refraction (the angle between the refracted light and the normal), they can calculate the refractive index of the medium through which the light is entering. This relationship is crucial in applications involving lenses, prisms, and optical systems.

In understanding Snell's Law, it's essential to know that the refractive index is defined as the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the medium, linking it to the angles of incidence and refraction through this sine relationship. The correct formulation helps predict how light will behave when transitioning between different transparent materials, such as air and glass or