Mistake Master
Student view — seeing the site as a student does
CED objectives

Refraction

▶︎  Watch it animatedinteractive step-through · ~3 min · optional ⚙︎  Open the appletRefraction Bench · cross the pairs in Snell's law until the ray disappears, then find the direction a critical angle can exist in

The index of refraction is $n = c/v$, so a higher index means slower light, and Snell's law $n_1\sin\theta_1 = n_2\sin\theta_2$ pairs each index with the angle in its own medium. Entering a slower medium the ray bends toward the normal and ends at a smaller angle; entering a faster one it bends away; arriving along the normal it does not bend at all while still changing speed. Frequency is fixed by the source and does not change at a boundary, so the wavelength shrinks by the same factor as the speed. Total internal reflection requires travel from high index to low, with $\sin\theta_c = n_2/n_1$.

Five errors dominate. Crossing the pairs in Snell's law so each index multiplies the angle in the other medium, which bends the ray the wrong way with a plausible-looking number. Choosing the direction of the bend from a feeling rather than from which medium is slower, and missing that a ray along the normal does not bend. Letting the frequency fall along with the speed, which would recolour everything seen underwater. Computing a critical angle for a trip from low index to high, where none exists and the equation returns a sine above one. And explaining dispersion by energy rather than by the index, which works in glass by accident and fails everywhere else.

higher index, slower light, SMALLER angle to the normal air, n = 1.0 glass, n = 1.5, slower 40° 25° bends TOWARD the normal air, n = 1.0 glass, n = 1.5 25° 40° reversed: bends AWAY from the normal
The same two angles appear in both panels, swapped between the media. Which one is smaller is decided by which medium is slower.
total internal reflection: high index to low ONLY air, n = 1.0 glass, n = 1.5 gets out at θ(c) = 42°: grazes along the surface past θ(c): nothing gets out from AIR into glass there is no critical angle at all, and sinθ(c) = 1.5 is the equation saying so
The refracted ray runs out of room at ninety degrees. Reverse the trip and it never can, which is why the effect has a direction.

The work

3 ways in · any order
Lesson
Refraction

Pairs each index with the angle in its own medium, fixes the bend direction from which medium is slower, holds the frequency constant at a boundary, and restricts the critical angle to high index toward low.

Skill check · 10 scenarios
Diagnostic
10-item topic check

Ten items spanning the failure modes of this topic: crossing the pairs in Snell's law, bending a slowed ray the wrong way, letting the frequency drop with the speed, computing a critical angle in the wrong direction, and explaining dispersion by energy. Take it cold to find which one is yours, or after the lesson to confirm it is not.

Not started · 10 items · ~15 min
Targeted Practice
Drill a single misconception

Pick one of the failure modes you missed and drill it on its own. The round is adaptive: two correct in a row clears it for now and moves you to the next. Two in a row is a checkpoint, not proof: if the error resurfaces later, the misconception comes back.

Take the diagnostic to identify your misconceptions