Final answer:
Refraction is the bending of a wave when it passes through a medium of different density, changing speed and direction, such as light waves moving from air to water. This is different from reflection, which involves waves bouncing off surfaces, and scattering, which involves waves dispersing in different directions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The RF behavior that is defined as “the bending of a wave as it passes through a medium of different density” is refraction. Refraction occurs when waves, such as light, sound, or radio waves, enter a medium at an angle and change speed due to a difference in density between the two media. This change in speed results in the wave bending or changing direction. For example, when light waves pass from air into water, they slow down and bend towards the normal line (a line perpendicular to the interface between the media), which makes objects under water appear shifted from their actual position. Similarly, RF waves can be refracted by layers in the atmosphere, affecting radio and communication signals. Reflection, on the other hand, occurs when waves bounce off a surface, and scattering is when waves are dispersed in multiple directions due to irregularities in the medium.