Final answer:
Refraction is the term that describes the bending of light when it passes from one medium to another, which happens due to changes in speed caused by different refractive indices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that refers to the bending of light at the junction of two media is known as refraction. When light waves pass from one medium to another, such as from air to water or from water to glass, they bend due to a change in speed. This bending is attributed to the different indices of refraction of the media. For instance, light traveling from air into water will slow down and bend towards the normal—a line perpendicular to the interface between the two media—while exiting water into air will increase its speed and bend away from the normal.
Several interesting phenomena result from refraction, such as the apparent depth of objects in water being less than their real depth and the formation of rainbows by prisms. Additionally, refraction is the principle that enables lenses to focus light and form images, significantly impacting our daily lives through eyeglasses, cameras, and microscopes.