Question

A mirage is visible only on a hot day.

• A. True
• B. False

Answer 1

The correct option is A

True

Mirage formation is an illusion which is based on the concept of total internal reflection. Light rays from an object undergoes total internal reflection near the surface of the earth as they pass from a denser medium (cold) to a rarer medium (hot). When these rays reach our eyes, it appears as the reflection of the object in a water body at a distance closer than the actual distance. This is only possible on a hot day as the area near the earth's surface is hotter which is an optically rarer medium than than the comparatively colder air above it.