What term describes the change in direction of a wavefront when it hits an interface between two different media?

The change in direction of a wavefront when it encounters an interface between two different media is best described by the term "reflect." When a wave hits a boundary, a portion of it can bounce back into the original medium. This reflective behavior occurs due to differences in the properties of the two media, such as density or elasticity.

This phenomenon can be observed with various types of waves, including light and sound. For instance, when light reflects off a mirror, its wavefront changes direction while still remaining in the same medium before and after the interface—illustrating the characteristic of reflection.

In contrast, other terms such as transmit, absorb, or deflect describe different processes. Transmission refers to a wave passing through a medium and continuing on the other side, absorption involves the wave being taken up by the medium and not continuing, and deflection typically refers to a change in path due to an interaction that is not specifically tied to the principles of reflection. Thus, recognizing wave behavior at media interfaces is essential, and the correct term for the change in direction due to reflection is indeed "reflect."