The bending of light rays is
(A) reflection,
(B) constriction,
(C) refraction,
(D) refaction.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is (C) refraction.
Refraction refers to the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another, where its speed changes. This phenomenon occurs because light travels at different speeds in different materials. When light enters a new medium at an angle, its speed and wavelength change, causing it to bend. The change in direction of the light is due to the difference in optical density between the two mediums.
This bending occurs because the speed of light is slower in denser mediums. For example, when light passes from air (a less dense medium) into water (a denser medium), the light slows down and bends toward the normal (an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface). Conversely, when light moves from a denser medium like water into a less dense medium like air, the light speeds up and bends away from the normal.
The amount of bending depends on the angle at which the light enters the new medium, as well as the refractive indices of the two mediums involved. The refractive index is a measure of how much the speed of light is reduced in a given medium. The greater the refractive index, the slower light travels in that medium, resulting in more bending.
A common example of refraction is the apparent bending of a straw when placed in a glass of water. The straw looks broken or shifted at the water’s surface because of the refraction of light between air and water. Another well-known phenomenon involving refraction is the formation of rainbows, where sunlight is refracted in water droplets, creating a spectrum of colors.
In contrast, reflection is the bouncing of light off a surface, and terms like constriction and refaction are not scientifically related to the bending of light.