When a ray of light enters the flat smooth surface of a dense transparent material at an angle to the perpendicular, which way does it bend?
A) away from the perpendicular
B) toward the perpendicular
C) in a direction so that it travels perpendicular to the surface
D) It does not bend at all because the material is transparent.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a ray of light enters a denser medium from a less dense medium, it bends toward the perpendicular (normal line) to the surface at the point of entry. This is due to the decrease in speed of light in the denser medium, according to Snell's Law.

When a Ray of Light Enters the Flat Smooth Surface