Refraction concept.

Refraction concept.

• A. Bending of waves due to speed change at boundary
• B. Absorption of light
• C. Emission of light
• D. Scattering of particles

Answer: (A)

Refraction is the bending of waves as they pass from one medium into another due to a change in speed. When light crosses a boundary, its speed is different in the new medium, so its path changes direction, producing the bend described by Snell’s law. The frequency of light stays the same across the boundary, while the wavelength adjusts to the new speed. Absorption involves the medium taking in some of the light’s energy and removing it from transmission. Emission is light that the medium itself produces, and scattering redirects light in many directions due to particles or inhomogeneities, not simply because of a boundary speed change. The bending at a boundary caused by a change in speed is exactly what refraction describes.

Refraction is the bending of waves as they pass from one medium into another due to a change in speed. When light crosses a boundary, its speed is different in the new medium, so its path changes direction, producing the bend described by Snell’s law. The frequency of light stays the same across the boundary, while the wavelength adjusts to the new speed. Absorption involves the medium taking in some of the light’s energy and removing it from transmission. Emission is light that the medium itself produces, and scattering redirects light in many directions due to particles or inhomogeneities, not simply because of a boundary speed change. The bending at a boundary caused by a change in speed is exactly what refraction describes.