What happens to light as it moves from a slower medium to a faster medium?

Study for your Grade 10 Optics Test. Enhance your understanding with flashcards and MCQs, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare thoroughly for your exam!

When light moves from a slower medium to a faster medium, it bends away from the normal line. This behavior is a result of the change in speed of the light as it transitions between different materials.

In optics, the normal line is an imaginary line perpendicular to the interface between the two media. When light enters a medium where it travels more rapidly, its angle with respect to the normal increases, which means it bends away from the normal. This phenomenon can be described by Snell's Law, which states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is constant and relates to the indices of refraction of the two media.

Understanding this principle is critical, as it explains various optical phenomena, such as how lenses focus light or why the sky appears blue, among others. The other options do not accurately represent the behavior of light in this scenario, as light does not bend towards the normal when moving to a faster medium, nor is it absorbed or reflected in this case.

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