Which term describes causing something to change direction or to separate as it travels through a substance?

Which term describes causing something to change direction or to separate as it travels through a substance?

• A. Reflect
• B. Refract
• C. Scatter
• D. Solar

Answer: (B)

Refraction is the bending of a wave as it passes from one medium to another because its speed changes with the medium’s properties. This change in speed when entering a new material causes the path to tilt, so the wave bends toward or away from the normal depending on the media. A classic example is a straw in a glass of water looking bent at the surface. Refraction can also lead to dispersion, where different wavelengths bend by different amounts and separate into a spectrum. Reflection is when the wave bounces back, scattering is when it spreads in many directions due to particles, and solar isn’t the term for this process.

Refraction is the bending of a wave as it passes from one medium to another because its speed changes with the medium’s properties. This change in speed when entering a new material causes the path to tilt, so the wave bends toward or away from the normal depending on the media. A classic example is a straw in a glass of water looking bent at the surface. Refraction can also lead to dispersion, where different wavelengths bend by different amounts and separate into a spectrum. Reflection is when the wave bounces back, scattering is when it spreads in many directions due to particles, and solar isn’t the term for this process.