Which term refers to when light passes through a material and bends?

The term that describes when light passes through a material and bends is transmission. This process occurs when light enters a medium at an angle, causing it to change speed due to differences in density or composition between materials. As the light waves transition from one medium to another, they bend according to Snell's Law, which relates the angles of incidence and refraction to the indices of refraction of the two materials involved. This bending of light is a crucial concept in optics and is essential for the functioning of lenses and other optical devices.

In contrast, reflection involves light bouncing off a surface, diffraction refers to the spreading of light waves when they encounter an obstacle or a slit, and absorption is the process by which a material takes in light energy rather than allowing it to pass through. These terms represent different interactions between light and materials, but do not involve the transmission and bending of light specifically.