Refraction occurs under which condition?

Refraction occurs under which condition?

• A. Diffraction
• B. Scattering
• C. Refraction
• D. Specular reflection

Answer: (C)

Refraction happens when light crosses the boundary between two media that have different refractive indices. At that interface, the light changes speed, and because speed changes unevenly along the path, the direction bends. The amount of bending is governed by Snell’s law, which ties the angles to the two media’s refractive indices. Other phenomena aren’t about entering a new medium with a different optical density: diffraction is wave bending around obstacles or through openings, scattering is redirection by particles in the medium, and specular reflection is a mirror-like bounce off a surface without entering a different medium.

Refraction happens when light crosses the boundary between two media that have different refractive indices. At that interface, the light changes speed, and because speed changes unevenly along the path, the direction bends. The amount of bending is governed by Snell’s law, which ties the angles to the two media’s refractive indices.

Other phenomena aren’t about entering a new medium with a different optical density: diffraction is wave bending around obstacles or through openings, scattering is redirection by particles in the medium, and specular reflection is a mirror-like bounce off a surface without entering a different medium.