Simple conceptual question about light in films

[yvesers]

Hey guys iv got a conceptual question about light in films. When there's and incident ray in medium air which refract in a medium like glass the ray of light is bent towards the normal, and the opposite for the other way around. And to my understanding the normal is just the line perpendicular to the surface, but what do people mean when they say bend away from the normal? How can you bend towards the normal?

 

[tiny-tim]

hey yvesers!

… what do people mean when they say bend away from the normal? How can you bend towards the normal?

if the light goes in at 40° to the normal, and comes out at 50° to the normal, then it has bent away from the normal

if the light goes in at 40° to the normal, and comes out at 30° to the normal, then it has bent toward the normal

 

[yvesers]

You absolute boss :)