Question

Explain with the help of a ray diagram, why a partly immersed in water appears to be bent at the water surface.

Answer 1

A stick or a pencil half immersed in water at an angle appears bent due to refraction of light at the air - water surface. Figure shows a straight stick AO whose lower portion BO is immersed in water. It appears to be bent at point B in the direction BI. A ray of light OC coming from the lower end O passes from water into air at C and get refracted away from the normal in the direction CX. Another ray OD get refracted in the direction DY. The two refracted ray CX and DY, when produced backward, appear to met at point I, nearer to the water surface then O. Similar each part of the immersed portion of the stick raised As a result immersed portion of the stick raised As a result immersed portion of the stick appears to be bent when viewed at an angle from outside.