The bending of waves as they pass from one medium to another due to changes in speed is called?

The bending of waves as they pass from one medium to another due to changes in speed is called?

• A. Diffraction
• B. Reflection
• C. Refraction
• D. Absorption

Answer: (C)

When a wave crosses into a new medium and its speed changes, the wave’s path bends. That bending, caused by the change in speed, is refraction. The amount and direction of the bend depend on how much the speed differs between the two media, which is described by Snell’s law. A common example is a straw in a glass of water appearing to bend where the air-water boundary is, illustrating how the wavefronts change direction at the interface. The other ideas describe different behaviors: diffraction is bending around obstacles or through openings, reflection is the wave bouncing off a surface, and absorption is the loss of energy rather than a change in direction.

When a wave crosses into a new medium and its speed changes, the wave’s path bends. That bending, caused by the change in speed, is refraction. The amount and direction of the bend depend on how much the speed differs between the two media, which is described by Snell’s law. A common example is a straw in a glass of water appearing to bend where the air-water boundary is, illustrating how the wavefronts change direction at the interface. The other ideas describe different behaviors: diffraction is bending around obstacles or through openings, reflection is the wave bouncing off a surface, and absorption is the loss of energy rather than a change in direction.