Light changes its direction when going from one medium to another transparent medium. This is the _________ of light. (A) Reflection (B) Dispersion (C) Refraction (D) Absorption
Answer (1)
The correct answer to the question is (C) Refraction .
Refraction is a phenomenon that occurs when light waves change direction as a result of passing from one transparent medium to another. This happens because light travels at different speeds in different media. The change in speed causes the bending of the light rays at the interface between the two media.
Consider a simple example: if you place a straw in a glass of water, it often appears to be bent at the surface of the water. This bending is due to refraction. The light rays from the straw bend when they travel from the water to the air, creating the illusion that the straw is broken or displaced.
The degree to which light bends depends on the indices of refraction of the two media. This is quantified by Snell's Law, which states:
n 1 sin θ 1 = n 2 sin θ 2
Where:
n 1 and n 2 are the refractive indices of the two media.
θ 1 and θ 2 are the angles of incidence and refraction, respectively.
In physics, understanding refraction is crucial for explaining various optical phenomena and is applied in lenses, prisms, and other optical devices used in everything from cameras to glasses to microscopes.
