The term for the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another is:

The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another is termed refraction. This phenomenon occurs due to a change in the speed of light as it moves between different materials, such as air and glass or water. Each medium has a unique refractive index, which quantifies how much light slows down. When light enters a new medium at an angle, it changes direction due to this difference in speed, resulting in what we observe as a bend.

Refraction is critical in the field of optics, particularly in the design of lenses used in glasses, cameras, and other optical devices. Understanding this concept is essential for ophthalmic dispensing because it directly influences how lenses correct vision by focusing light properly on the retina.

The other terms refer to different optical phenomena: reflection involves light bouncing off a surface, absorption is the process where light is taken in by a material, and diffraction deals with the bending of light around obstacles or through openings, creating patterns. These concepts, while related to light, do not describe the bending that occurs during the transition between different media like refraction does.