What phenomenon describes the bending of waves as they pass through different media?

The phenomenon that describes the bending of waves as they pass through different media is known as refraction. This occurs because waves travel at different speeds in different materials. When a wave enters a new medium at an angle, its speed changes, which causes it to change direction.

For instance, when light waves move from air into water, they slow down and bend towards the normal line (an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface). This bending effect is why objects submerged in water appear to be at different positions than they actually are. Refraction is a key principle in various applications, including optics, lens design, and even in understanding phenomena like rainbows.

In contrast, diffraction relates to the bending of waves around obstacles and openings, reflection involves waves bouncing back when hitting a surface, and absorption refers to waves being taken up by a medium and not passing through it. Each of these concepts operates under different principles but does not capture the bending of waves caused by changes in medium like refraction does.