Question

The picture below shows a duck that appears to have its body detached when viewed underwater.

image

Why does the duck's body looked detached?

A.
because the atmosphere absorbs the sunlight, so it reaches the duck's body underwater slower than the rest of the duck

B.
because the duck reflects the light toward its abdomen, making it look different than the rest of the duck

C.
because the pond is a different material than the air, and sunlight gets refracted as it travels in and out of the water

D.
because the bottom of the pond scatters the light, making the duck's body underwater appear different than the rest of the duck

Answer 1

C.

Light changes speed and bends (is refracted) at the air–water boundary. Rays from the submerged part of the duck reach your eye along different directions than rays from the above‑water part, so the underwater portion appears shifted and misaligned — making the body look “detached.” Ripples on the surface can exaggerate the effect.