Reflection and Refraction of Light

Light is an electromagnetic wave, and when light encounters an interface, some of the light is reflected back into the original medium. When light passes from one medium to another, it undergoes refraction and changes direction due to the differences in the media. However, the phenomena of light refraction and reflection are not unique to light; for example, sound waves, mechanical waves, and even macroscopic particles exhibit similar phenomena. This suggests that the underlying physical mechanisms may be the same. The Huygens-Fresnel principle explains the reflection and refraction of light, but it has some limitations in explaining the wave-particle duality of light. Light has become the most important tool for scientific research, widely applied in fields such as astrophysics and atomic structures. Therefore, a deeper study and understanding of the electromagnetic wave properties of light, as well as the phenomena of reflection and refraction, are of great significance for the development of optical technology and applications.