Question

A ray of light travelling in air enter obliquely into water. Does the ray of light bend toward normal or away from normal?.why?

Answer 1

The ray of light bends towards the normal. When a ray of light enters from an optically rarer medium (having low refractive index) to an optically denser medium (having high refractive index), its speed slows down and it bends towards the normal. Since water is optically denser than air, a ray of light entering from air into water will bend towards the normal.

Answer 2

When the light ray from the air enters obliquely to water it bends towards the normal. This is because a light ray entering from a rarer medium to a denser medium bends towards the normal.and air being rarer medium , when light ray enters water which a denser medium then the refracted light ray bends towards the normal.