The explanation for refraction must involve a change in Warm air you
A. speed.
B. frequency.
C. wavelength.
D. all of these.
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is C. wavelength.
Refraction refers to the bending of light (or any other wave) as it passes from one medium to another, where the speed of the wave changes. When discussing how light interacts with warm air, refraction is influenced by the difference in the speed of light as it travels through air of varying temperatures. Warm air, being less dense than cooler air, causes the speed of light to change when it passes through it.
When light travels from one medium to another (for example, from cool air to warm air), its speed changes because the density of the medium changes. According to the principle of refraction, the speed of the wave is inversely proportional to the wavelength in that medium, provided the frequency remains constant. In the case of light, its frequency stays constant as it travels through different media (since frequency is determined by the source of the light, not the medium). However, the wavelength of light will change depending on the medium’s density.
In warm air, the density is lower than in cooler air, which means the speed of light is greater. Since the frequency of light doesn’t change, the increase in speed causes the wavelength to increase as well. This is why the correct answer is C. wavelength—refraction in this context specifically refers to a change in the wavelength of the light wave when it passes through warm air.
To summarize, while speed does change (answer choice A), it is the wavelength that directly changes due to the medium’s properties (air temperature and density). The frequency remains constant (answer choice B) as it’s a characteristic of the source of the light, not the medium. Therefore, the most accurate answer in the context of refraction is C. wavelength.
