refract
Pronunciation: [rɪˈfrækt]
Word
Context: "science"
(verb) to change the direction of light when it passes through different materials. Imagine a straw in a glass of water; it looks bent. That's because the water makes the light change direction.
Example
The sun refracts through the glass prism and shows a rainbow on the wall.
Example
The light does not refract when it goes straight through the air without hitting anything.
Example
How does the light refract when it enters a swimming pool?
Context: "biology"
(verb) to change the path of waves, like sound or light, when they go through different substances. This is similar to how light goes from air to water.
Example
In a lab, scientists refract sound waves to study how they travel in different materials.
Example
The sound did not refract when it traveled in a straight line through the same material.
Example
Can you see how sound waves refract when they move from air to water?
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