Glossary
- Refraction index: for a transparent medium, ratio between the light speed in the air and the light speed in the medium ; for a reflective surface in the air or vacuum, the refraction index is « - 1 »
- Angle of incidence: angle of a light ray incident on a surface with the normal to the surface
- Refraction: deviation of rays at the interface of two transparent media with different refraction indexes according to Snell-Descarte law
- Total reflection: reflection of light by a surface separating two transparent media and during which all the light is reflected; phenomenon only possible if the refractive index of the incident medium is larger than that of the emerging medium and if the angle of incidence is larger than a certain value