Refraction Ability & Optical Density

The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another is called refraction. The extent to which a medium causes this bending depends on its properties.

This property is scientifically termed optical density. A medium with a higher optical density causes light to slow down more and, consequently, refract more significantly.

Evaluating Options for Light Refraction

• Optical density directly quantifies how effectively a medium refracts light.
• Optical volume is not a standard measure related to light bending.
• Optical mass is not a recognized term in optics concerning refraction.
• Optical illusion describes perceptual phenomena and not a physical property of a medium.

Therefore, the ability of a medium to refract light is specifically measured by its optical density.