What term describes light rays that proceed outward from a point?

The term that describes light rays that proceed outward from a point is "divergent." When light rays emanate from a single point source and move away from each other, they are categorized as divergent rays. This phenomenon is commonly observed in optics, particularly when discussing light behavior from sources such as lamps or stars.

In contrast, convergent rays refer to light rays that come together at a point. This typically happens when light passes through a convex lens or is focused by a concave mirror. Parallel rays maintain a constant distance from one another and do not converge or diverge, while collinear rays are specific to rays that lie along a single line but do not necessarily indicate whether they are converging or diverging. Each of these terms highlights different behaviors of light, but in the context of rays moving outward from a point, divergent is the accurate descriptor.