Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. It’s made up of photons, which are tiny particles that move in waves. These waves oscillate at different frequencies, and the ones that we see fall within the visible spectrum, which ranges from violet (shorter wavelengths) to red (longer wavelengths). Light travels incredibly fast, at around 299,792 kilometers per second (the speed of light), and it doesn't need a medium like air or water to travel through, unlike sound or other mechanical waves

Reflection is when light bounces off a surface instead of passing through it. The angle at which light hits the surface is called the incident angle, and the angle at which it bounces off is called the reflected angle. According to the law of reflection, these two angles are always equal.

For example, when you look in a mirror, light from you hits the mirror and bounces back to your eyes. That’s why you can see yourself! Reflection is what allows us to see objects clearly, especially when they have smooth, shiny surfaces. It's the reason you can see your face in a window or a lake, depending on the angle of the light.

Reflection can happen off various surfaces—flat ones (like mirrors), curved ones (like spoons), or even irregular ones (like a rough wall, but it scatters the light more)

Refraction is the bending of light when it passes from one medium into another with a different density. This happens because light travels at different speeds in different materials. When light enters a new medium (like from air into water or glass), its speed changes, causing the light to bend at the boundary between the two mediums.

Here’s the deal:

• If light moves from a less dense medium (like air) to a denser medium (like water or glass), it slows down and bends towards the normal (an imaginary line perpendicular to the surface).

• If it moves from a denser medium to a less dense one, it speeds up and bends away from the normal.

Refraction is why a straw looks bent when you put it in a glass of water, or why objects underwater can appear closer or larger than they really are.

The amount of bending depends on the angle at which the light hits the surface and the difference in the densities of the two materials. The mathematical relationship governing this is called Snell’s Law.

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