What happens during refraction?

During refraction, light changes direction when it passes from one medium to another, such as from air into water or from water into glass. This change in direction occurs because light travels at different speeds in different materials. When light enters a new medium at an angle, part of it slows down, while the other part moves at a different speed. This difference in speed causes the light to change its path, resulting in bending.

This phenomenon can also be observed with various materials, showing how refraction plays a crucial role in optical systems, such as lenses, which rely on bending light to focus images. Understanding this principle is essential in physics, particularly in optics, as it explains why objects appear bent when viewed through a glass of water or why a straw looks broken in a glass.