When a ray of light travels from a rarer medium to a denser medium, it
When a ray of light travels from a rarer medium to a denser medium, it gets bent towards the normal. This bending occurs because the light slows down in the denser medium, causing the direction of the ray to shift towards the normal line at the interface.
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When a ray of light travels from a rarer medium to a denser medium, it gets bent towards the normal (Option B). This phenomenon is due to the change in speed as light enters a denser medium, such as from air to water or glass. In the rarer medium, light travels faster, but upon entering the denser medium, its speed decreases. This change in speed causes the light to bend towards the normal line, which is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence. The degree of bending depends on the refractive indices of the two media and the angle of incidence. This behavior of light is described by Snell’s Law, which mathematically relates the angles of incidence and refraction to the refractive indices. This bending is crucial in various optical applications, such as lenses and prisms.