Final answer:
A spherical air bubble embedded in glass acts like a diverging lens because it causes light rays to spread out as they pass through the bubble, similar to how light behaves when passing through a concave lens structure. Option b is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Light rays behave differently when passing through various materials and structures. For a spherical air bubble embedded in glass, it functions differently compared to a solid glass medium. A spherical air bubble will cause light rays to diverge as they pass through it, because air has a lower refractive index than glass. Considering this property, the behavior of light upon passing through a spherical air bubble resembles that of a diverging lens. The effect of a diverging lens is to spread parallel light rays away from the optical axis, making them appear as though they originated from a virtual focal point on the same side of the lens as the incoming light rays.
When light passes through a solid glass lens with a convex shape, it converges, while a concave shape causes the light to diverge. However, a bubble of air in glass does not have the same shape as a concave lens; it's actually like having a lens with a refractive index less than the surrounding material.
Hence, considering the context provided and comparing the characteristics of a converging lens and a diverging lens, we can conclude that the phenomena of light rays passing through a spherical air bubble embedded in glass corresponds to that which takes place with a diverging lens.
According to the information provided and the understanding of lens behavior, the correct option that describes the behavior of a ray of light passing through the bubble is (b) diverging lens.