Refraction Analogy with a Real Car - GCSE and A Level Physics

You have probably heard of this refraction analogy for how light behaves as it refracts and changes direction at a boundary - now see it in real life!

Notes for teachers:

Scene 1 - A car will travel slower over a rough surface, like gravel, compared to a smooth surface like tarmac.
Scene 2 - If a car drives from one surface to another with the front wheels meeting this new rougher surface at the same time, the car will slow down but not change direction.
Scene 3 - If the car meets a surface at an angle then one wheel slows down before the other and the car turns. Once both wheels are on the gravel then it continues in a straight line until it turns again as it drives back onto the tarmac.
Scene 4 - A repeat of Scene 3.

Thanks for watching,

Lewis

This video is suitable for students studying GCSE Physics and A Level Physics

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[K_]

I have got to hand it to you sir this clearly was a genius idea

[raquelrhodes]

It's amazing! Physics is much more interesting when you can see real life examples!

[historicalwater]

Genuinely one of the most useful videos on GCSE physics, thank you

[leonardowilhelmdicaprio]

Wow! That's bloody brilliant! BTW, drones are wicked!

[Alex-pcfe]

This deserves wayyy more views! This was awesome!

[Plastik]

So if the light is a large ray, it will behave like the car (the first wheel slows down while the second wheel keeps going fast, that's why the car turns). But if the ray of light is the width of a photon, should not the ray deviate in the new environment ?

[Epoch]

And you didn't turn that steering wheel at all?

[loaimiloud]

When are you going to upload the Edexcel IAL revision videos?

[jih]

what happens if the vehicle is a motorbike?