What is the outcome of light traveling from a medium of lower optical density to a medium of higher optical density?

When light travels from a medium of lower optical density (such as air) to a medium of higher optical density (like water or glass), it slows down and bends towards the normal line, which is an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence. This behavior is a result of the change in speed of light in different media, described by Snell's Law.

As light enters the denser medium, it experiences an increase in refractive index, which causes it to change direction. The bending towards the normal is crucial for various applications such as lenses and optical devices, where precise control over light paths is necessary.

In contrast, light traveling from a higher optical density medium to a lower one would bend away from the normal, and if the angle of incidence exceeds a certain critical angle, it could result in total internal reflection, which does not apply in this scenario. Thus, the correct understanding of how light behaves when transitioning between media of differing optical densities is essential for understanding refraction and its applications in optics.