Which term describes the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another?

Which term describes the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another?

• A. Recovery
• B. Refraction
• C. Reflection
• D. Primary crushing

Answer: (B)

Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. This happens because light travels at different speeds in different media, so when it hits a boundary it changes speed and changes direction. The amount of bending depends on the media's optical densities (refractive indices) and is described by Snell’s law. For example, light slows and bends toward the normal when entering a denser medium, and bends away from the normal when entering a less dense one, which is why a straw looks bent in a glass of water. Recovery and primary crushing aren’t related to light behavior at boundaries, and reflection is the bouncing of light off a surface rather than passing through into the new medium.

Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. This happens because light travels at different speeds in different media, so when it hits a boundary it changes speed and changes direction. The amount of bending depends on the media's optical densities (refractive indices) and is described by Snell’s law. For example, light slows and bends toward the normal when entering a denser medium, and bends away from the normal when entering a less dense one, which is why a straw looks bent in a glass of water.

Recovery and primary crushing aren’t related to light behavior at boundaries, and reflection is the bouncing of light off a surface rather than passing through into the new medium.