Light bends *towards* the normal when it passes from a medium where it travels faster to one where it travels slower.
Here's why:
* Normal: The normal is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface of the boundary between the two mediums.
* Snell's Law: This law governs how light bends when it passes from one medium to another. It states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence (the angle light makes with the normal in the first medium) to the sine of the angle of refraction (the angle light makes with the normal in the second medium) is equal to the ratio of the speeds of light in the two mediums.
* Speed and Bending: When light enters a medium where it travels slower, its path bends towards the normal to compensate for the change in speed. This happens because the wavefronts of the light need to "catch up" with each other.
Example:
Imagine light traveling from air (where it's fast) into water (where it's slower). The light will bend towards the normal as it enters the water.
Key takeaway: Light bends *towards* the normal when going from a faster medium to a slower medium.
