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

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

• A. Refract
• B. Reflect
• C. Absorb
• D. Transmit

Answer: (A)

Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one substance to another because light travels at different speeds in different materials. When light enters a new material, its speed changes, and that change in speed makes the light change direction. You can see this whenever a straw in a glass of water looks like it’s broken or bent at the water’s surface, or when lenses bend light to focus it. The other ideas describe different things: light bouncing off a surface is reflection, light being taken in by a material is absorption, and light moving through a material without changing direction is transmission (though some bending can occur due to refraction, the defining feature here is the change in direction at the boundary).

Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one substance to another because light travels at different speeds in different materials. When light enters a new material, its speed changes, and that change in speed makes the light change direction. You can see this whenever a straw in a glass of water looks like it’s broken or bent at the water’s surface, or when lenses bend light to focus it. The other ideas describe different things: light bouncing off a surface is reflection, light being taken in by a material is absorption, and light moving through a material without changing direction is transmission (though some bending can occur due to refraction, the defining feature here is the change in direction at the boundary).