What is the result when light passes from a denser medium to a less dense medium?

What is the result when light passes from a denser medium to a less dense medium?

• A. It slows down and bends towards the normal
• B. It speeds up and bends away from the normal
• C. It ceases to exist in the second medium
• D. It reflects back into the denser medium

Answer: (B)

When light passes from a denser medium to a less dense medium, it indeed speeds up and bends away from the normal. This phenomenon is described by Snell's law, which governs how light refracts at the boundary between two media with different refractive indices. In a denser medium, light travels more slowly due to the higher optical density, meaning it interacts more with the medium's particles. As it transitions into a less dense medium, such as from water to air, the optical density decreases, allowing the light to travel faster. This change in speed causes the light to bend away from the normal line, which is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence. The bending away from the normal can be intuitively understood by imagining that the light beam, having moved more freely in the less dense medium, forms a larger angle with the normal than it did in the denser medium. This behavior aligns with our understanding of wave propagation and the principle of least time, where light takes the path that minimizes its travel time. Assessing the other options helps clarify the context: light does not slow down when transitioning to a less dense medium, it continues to exist, and it does not reflect back into the denser medium unless

When light passes from a denser medium to a less dense medium, it indeed speeds up and bends away from the normal. This phenomenon is described by Snell's law, which governs how light refracts at the boundary between two media with different refractive indices.

In a denser medium, light travels more slowly due to the higher optical density, meaning it interacts more with the medium's particles. As it transitions into a less dense medium, such as from water to air, the optical density decreases, allowing the light to travel faster. This change in speed causes the light to bend away from the normal line, which is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence.

The bending away from the normal can be intuitively understood by imagining that the light beam, having moved more freely in the less dense medium, forms a larger angle with the normal than it did in the denser medium. This behavior aligns with our understanding of wave propagation and the principle of least time, where light takes the path that minimizes its travel time.

Assessing the other options helps clarify the context: light does not slow down when transitioning to a less dense medium, it continues to exist, and it does not reflect back into the denser medium unless