What term describes the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another?

The term that describes the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another is refraction. This phenomenon occurs due to a change in the speed of light when it moves from one substance to another, such as from air to water. The amount of bending is dependent on the indices of refraction of the two media involved.

Refraction is crucial in various applications, including the design of lenses for glasses, cameras, and optical instruments, where controlling the path of light is essential for proper function. The understanding of refraction is foundational in physics and essential in explaining various optical phenomena, such as the way a straw looks bent when placed in a glass of water.