The bending of light is called __.
A. Light path B. Reflection C. Refraction D. All of these options
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is C. Refraction.
Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another with a different density. This occurs because light travels at different speeds in different materials. When light enters a medium such as water or glass from air, the change in speed causes the light to change direction. This bending effect can be seen when a straw placed in a glass of water appears to be broken or shifted at the water’s surface.
Refraction is governed by Snell’s Law, which describes how the angle of incidence (the angle at which light hits the surface) relates to the angle of refraction (the angle at which light bends). The law is mathematically expressed as:
n₁ * sin(θ₁) = n₂ * sin(θ₂)
Where:
- n₁ and n₂ are the refractive indices of the first and second media respectively,
- θ₁ and θ₂ are the angles of incidence and refraction.
The refractive index is a property of the material that tells how much the light slows down as it enters that material. A higher refractive index means light will bend more.
Refraction is responsible for phenomena like rainbows, the focusing of light in lenses, and the ability of eyeglasses or microscopes to magnify images. The effect is not the same as reflection, where light bounces off a surface, nor is it related to the light path, which simply refers to the direction light travels. Hence, refraction is the only term that accurately describes the bending of light when transitioning between different media.