What is the term for the bending of light?

The term for the bending of light is refraction. Refraction occurs when light travels from one medium to another medium with a different density, causing the light waves to change speed and direction. This bending effect is commonly demonstrated when light passes through water, air, or glass; for example, a straw appearing bent when placed in a glass of water.

Understanding refraction is crucial in various applications, including lenses in glasses and cameras, where the bending of light is exploited to focus images. This phenomenon also plays a significant role in natural phenomena such as rainbows, where light is refracted as it passes through water droplets, resulting in the dispersion of light into its component colors.

Recognizing how each option relates to light is important here: diffraction involves the bending and spreading of waves around obstacles, reflection is the bouncing back of light from surfaces, and absorption refers to the process where light energy is absorbed by materials and converted into other forms of energy.