Light travelling from a denser medium into a less dense one bends
Correct answer: B. away from the normal
- A. towards the normal
- B. away from the normal
- C. along the normal
- D. not at all
Explanation
The speed of light increases in the less dense medium, so the ray bends away from the normal, and beyond the critical angle it cannot escape at all and is totally internally reflected. Going the other way, from less dense to denser, the ray bends towards the normal. A ray along the normal passes straight through whatever the media.
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About Optics
Light is studied through reflection, refraction, dispersion, interference, diffraction and polarization, linking ray behavior with its wave nature. Questions may involve mirrors, lenses, optical instruments, refractive index and image formation, while geometrical optics deals with rays and wave optics explains effects such as interference and diffraction.
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