Science Calculators
Snell's Law Calculator
Enter two materials' refractive indices and an angle of incidence to calculate the refraction angle.
32.12° refraction angle
Uses Snell's law: n1 sin(θ1) = n2 sin(θ2). Angles are measured from the normal (perpendicular to the surface), not from the surface itself.
How to use this tool
- 1Choose the material light is coming from.
- 2Choose the material light is entering.
- 3Enter the angle of incidence.
- 4See the refraction angle.
Frequently asked questions
What is total internal reflection?+
When light tries to pass into a less-dense material at too steep an angle, no refraction is mathematically possible and the light fully reflects instead — this tool flags that case explicitly.