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๐Ÿฅค Bend the Light Ray

Air๐Ÿ’ง Water

Watch the light ray (yellow) bend as it crosses into Water โ€” notice how much its direction changes at the surface.

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Refraction

Intermediate

Refraction happens when light changes direction as it moves from one material into another โ€” like from air into water, or from air into glass.

โšก Fun Fact:Light bends because it travels at different speeds in different materials. Light moves fastest through empty space, a little slower through air, and slower still through water or glass.

๐Ÿ“ Example:Have you ever put a straw in a glass of water and noticed it looks bent or shifted at the surface? That's refraction! The light bends as it passes from water into air on its way to your eyes.

๐Ÿ’ก Tip:The more a light ray's path bends when it enters a new material, the more the object can appear to shift, bend, or look closer or farther away than it really is.