Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026

In Situ Measurement of Vacuum Window Birefringence using 25Mg+ Fluorescence
Published on: June 13, 2020
Equations of motion for rays in a Snell's law medium
Jonathan S Ben-Benjamin1, Leon Cohen1
1Department of Physics, Hunter College and Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10065 jbenbenjamin@gradcenter.cuny.edu, leon.cohen@hunter.cuny.edu.
Abstract:
The equations of motion for a ray in a Snell's law medium with a varying index of refraction are derived. A stratified medium is considered. Explicit expressions are given for the velocity and acceleration components of the ray. These are derived directly from Snell's law. It is further shown that the propagation of a ray can be modeled in terms of Newtonian-like equations of motion and that momentum is conserved along the interface. It is shown that Snell's law follows from this conservation law. Properties of the motion are studied and an example is given.
More Related Videos
09:43Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
Published on: August 13, 2019
11:03An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Equations of Motion: Rectangular Coordinates and Cylindrical Coordinates
When a particle moves relative to an inertial frame, the equations of motion can be expressed using rectangular components. If the motion is confined to the x-y plane, the equations having the x and y coordinates only can be used to simplify the mathematical representation.
However, when particles...
Speed of a Transverse Wave
One of the key properties of any wave is the wave speed. Light...
Projectile Motion: Equations
Any projectile motion problem can be solved by using the following strategy:
Velocity and Acceleration of a Wave
The velocity of the particles can be obtained by taking the partial derivative of the position equation with respect to time....
Equations of Motion: Normal and Tangetial Components
Newton's second law of motion is employed to articulate the...
Kinematic Equations - II
Suppose a car merges into freeway traffic on a 200 m long ramp. If its initial velocity is 10 m/s and it accelerates at 2 m/s2, then the...