Asked by kelvin calin

A lens focuses light at a single point called the focal point.

An illustration of a vertical converging lens with 5 parallel rays coming from the left and hitting the lens. They all bend towards and through a point labeled focal point on the other side of the lens.
What is responsible for the light rays coming together at the focal point?

absorption
diffraction
reflection
refraction

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Refraction.

The curved glass surfaces change the light’s speed and direction (Snell’s law), so each parallel ray is bent by a different amount and they meet at the focal point. (Reflection is what a mirror does; absorption removes light; diffraction is bending around edges and is not the primary cause here.)