Explain why a pencil half-submerged in water in an inclined position appears bent at the surface of the water.

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Solution

A pencil that is half-submerged in water in an inclined position appears bent at the surface of the water due to the phenomenon of refraction.
Refraction of light is the phenomenon of bending of light when light passes from one transparent medium to another at an angle.
Light rays from the end B of the pencil travel from water to air and bend away from the normal before entering our eyes.
These rays appear to come from point C above B.
Hence pencil appears to bend at the surface of the water.

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