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The bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium into another is called?
A. Reflection
B. Refraction
C. Dispersion
D. Diffraction
Correct Answer Is Option = Refraction
Notes / Explanation
The bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium into another is called refraction, and it is one of the most important and commonly observed phenomena in the study of light and optics. Light normally travels in straight lines, but when it passes from one transparent material into another of a different density, such as from air into water or from air into glass, its speed changes, and this change in speed causes the light to bend or change its direction at the boundary between the two materials. This bending of the light ray is what is meant by refraction. The amount of bending depends on the nature of the two materials involved and on the angle at which the light strikes the surface between them. Refraction is responsible for many familiar effects that people observe in everyday life. For example, when a straight stick or a pencil is partly placed in a glass of water, it appears to be bent or broken at the point where it enters the water, even though it is perfectly straight, and this illusion is caused by the bending of light as it passes from the water into the air. Similarly, a coin lying at the bottom of a container of water may appear to be at a shallower depth than it really is, and objects seen through a glass of water may look distorted, all because of refraction. The phenomenon of refraction is also the principle behind the working of lenses, which are specially shaped pieces of transparent material that bend light in a controlled way in order to focus it. Lenses are used in a great many important instruments and devices, including spectacles that correct defects of vision, magnifying glasses, microscopes that allow tiny objects to be seen, telescopes that bring distant objects into view, and cameras that capture images. Refraction also plays a role in natural phenomena such as the formation of rainbows and the twinkling appearance of stars. Understanding refraction is therefore essential for understanding how light behaves and how optical instruments work. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium to another, that it is caused by a change in the speed of light, that it produces effects such as the apparent bending of a stick in water, and that it is the principle behind the working of lenses.
