Asked by fgs b
Study the image below.
A straw in a glass of water. The straw appear to be broken and shifted at the top of the water.
The straw appears to "bend" because of
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GPT-5 mini
AI
Refraction of light at the water–air interface.
Light from the submerged part of the straw changes speed when it goes from water (n ≈ 1.33) into air (n ≈ 1.00), so the rays bend at the surface according to Snell’s law (n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2). The eye traces those refracted rays back in straight lines, so the underwater portion appears shifted and in a different direction than the part in air. The result is the straw looking “broken” or bent at the water surface — a virtual-image/ apparent-displacement effect caused by refraction.
Light from the submerged part of the straw changes speed when it goes from water (n ≈ 1.33) into air (n ≈ 1.00), so the rays bend at the surface according to Snell’s law (n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2). The eye traces those refracted rays back in straight lines, so the underwater portion appears shifted and in a different direction than the part in air. The result is the straw looking “broken” or bent at the water surface — a virtual-image/ apparent-displacement effect caused by refraction.
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