What does refraction refer to?

Refraction is fundamentally the bending of waves as they transition between different media. When waves travel from one medium to another, their speed changes due to differing properties, such as density. This change in speed causes the waves to change direction, which is the essence of refraction.

In the context of light, for example, when it enters from air into water, its speed decreases, resulting in a noticeable bending of the light rays. This bending effect is widely observed in various phenomena, such as the apparent bending of a straw in a glass of water or the way that lenses work to focus light.

While the changing of speed is indeed a component of the refraction process, it’s important to directly link this speed change to the resultant bending that characterizes refraction. Understanding this relationship is crucial in applications like optics and wave behavior in different media.