Question

State the reason for the bending of the refracted ray away from the normal.

Hint:

Refraction occurs when light travels from one medium to another, and the direction of bending depends on the speed of light in the media.

Answer 1

The bending of light, also called refraction, occurs when light passes from one medium to another with a different refractive index. The light ray bends because its speed changes as it enters a new medium. Since Medium 2 is denser than Medium 1, light slows down upon entering Medium 2. However, the refracted ray bends away from the normal, indicating that the speed of light in Medium 2 is slower than in Medium 1. This bending occurs as a result of the difference in refractive indices between the two media. Thus, the light bends away from the normal because it is slowing down in the denser medium (Medium 2).