Natural Phenomenon due to Refraction of Light
Shallow Swimming Pools
- Figure shows a swimming pool appearing to be shallower than it really is.
- This is due to the light rays from the bottom of the pool being refracted away from the normal as they enter the air.
- When the light rays reach the eye, they appear to come from I which is higher up.
- So, the pool appears to be shallower.
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Bent Objects in Water
- Figure shows the pencil appearing to be bent at the air-water boundary.
- The light rays from the end of the pencil are refracted at the air-water boundary and bend away from the normal.
- The image of the pencil under the water appears to be higher than it really is.
- Thus, the pencil appears bent at the surface.
A Fish-eye View
- A fish or a diver can see objects above the water surface, but the objects on the shore would appear to be up in the air at different positions as shown in Figure.
- Due to refraction of light, a fish sees the image of an object at a position that differs from its true position.
The Twinkling Stars
- Light from the stars travel in straight lines through the vacuum of space.
- When these light rays enter the Earths atmosphere, they are refracted by layers of atmosphere of different densities.
- The densities of these layers of atmosphere are constantly changing (due to wind and temperature), thus altering the path of the light rays.
- One moment the light rays are refracted in such a way that it reaches your eyes and the next moment they are not.
- This produces the perception that the stars are twinkling.
- If one were to observe the same stars from space, they would not twinkle at all.