When light enters a glass block, in which direction does it bend?

Study for the Key Stage 3 (KS3) Waves Test. Strengthen concepts with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Prepare effectively for your exam!

When light travels from a less dense medium, like air, into a denser medium such as glass, it slows down and bends towards the normal line. The normal is an imaginary line that is perpendicular to the surface at the point of entry. This change in speed causes the light to change direction; thus, as it enters the glass block, the bending of light towards the normal occurs due to the differences in densities of the two media.

In contrast, if light were to move from a denser medium back to a less dense medium, it would bend away from the normal. However, that scenario is not applicable here since the question specifically addresses light entering glass, which is a denser material than air. The other mentioned directions, like horizontally or vertically, do not pertain to the bending behavior of light at an interface between two different media.

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