1. Refraction: This is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. This happens because light travels at different speeds in different materials. For example, light travels slower in water than in air, causing it to bend as it enters the water.
2. Reflection: This is the bouncing of light off a surface. When light strikes a smooth surface, it reflects at the same angle as it hit the surface. This is how mirrors work.
3. Absorption: This is the process where light energy is absorbed by the material. The material then converts this energy into other forms, such as heat. This is why dark surfaces get hotter in the sun than light surfaces.
These three phenomena are not mutually exclusive. When light strikes a material, all three can occur to some extent. The relative importance of each depends on the properties of the material and the angle of incidence of the light.
