Phenomena Related to Refraction 12.

7
Nature has many interesting phenomena involving light. Geometric optics is a
useful tool that we can use to explain many of these phenomena.

Apparent Depth
A pencil partly under water looks bent when viewed from above (Figure 1).
We can explain this using the concept of refraction and the knowledge that
our brains perceive light rays to always travel in a straight line. Light from
the submerged pencil tip reaches your eyes. Your brain then projects the rays
backwards in a straight line to create a virtual image in the water. This virtual
image is higher than the actual pencil tip, resulting in the pencil appearing to
be bent. The pencil tip appears to be at a shallower depth than it really is. The
distance from the surface of the water to where the object appears to be (the
virtual image) is called the apparent depth (Figure 2). A paddle in the water
also appears to be closer to the surface for the same reason.

Figure 1 A “bent” pencil in water

apparent depth the depth that an object

appears to be at due to the refraction of
virtual light in a transparent medium
source

apparent depth
actual depth

Figure 2 Refraction causes the pencil to appear closer to the surface than it actually is.

Objects under water always appear to be nearer to the surface than they
actually are. Apparent depth is an optical illusion. This is what makes fish
in water appear to be closer to the surface than they actually are (Figure 3).

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apparent depth
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Figure 3 The illusion of apparent depth
NEL 12.7 Phenomena Related to Refraction 535
 For the same reason, the legs of someone standing in water appear to be
shorter. Figure 4 is an illustration of refraction and apparent depth.

(a) (b)

Figure 4 Refraction causes a person’s

legs to appear shorter under water than
they really are.
The “Flattened” Sun
Sunsets offer a unique opportunity to see an unusual image due to refraction.
People notice that when the Sun is near the horizon during sunset, it appears
to be flattened. The Sun, of course, is not really flattened (Figure 5). When
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the Sun is close to the horizon, light from the bottom of the Sun is refracted
more than light from the top of the Sun. Part of the reason is that air is
more dense near Earth’s surface
Illustrator than higher up in the atmosphere. So the
increased density of air closer
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results in greater bending of the Sun’s
rays. In addition, the light rays from the bottom of the Sun have a greater
angle of incidence than the light rays from the top of the Sun. This results in
UDOS10SB the Sun having a flattened appearance rather than its familiar round shape.
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(a) (b)

Figure 5 The flattening of the Sun is the result of refraction in Earth’s atmosphere.

536 Chapter 12 • The Refraction of Light NEL

Water on Pavement—The Mirage
Many people have noticed what appears to be a pool of water in front of
them as they drive along a highway (Figure 6(a)). This pool of water seems
to be only a short distance away, yet the car never seems to reach it. The
pool appears to be constantly moving away.
The pool of water on a highway is a mirage. A mirage can appear when mirage a virtual image that forms as
light is travelling from cool air into warmer air. The index of refraction a result of refraction and total internal
reflection in Earth’s atmosphere
for air decreases as the air gets warmer. This results in light bending
farther away from the normal as the air temperature continues to increase.
Eventually, total internal reflection occurs in the lowest (hottest) air layer
(Figure 6(b)). The light ray now travels up from the hottest layer to the
cooler layer above and is gradually refracted toward the normal as the air
temperature decreases. This light ray eventually enters your eyes. A motorist
who sees this curved light forms a virtual image on the highway.
In reality, the pool of water is a virtual image of the sky on the highway.
Because the human brain perceives light to travel in a straight line, the
motorist projects the image of the sky onto the highway.

object

cool air

warm air

hot air

hot flat pavement

(a) (b) image

Figure 6 There appears to be a pool of water on the highway. This illusion is caused by the
refraction and reflection of light as it goes through air of different temperatures.

Shimmering
You may have noticed that when the Moon is out at night above a lake, you
can see a shimmering image of the Moon on the water’s surface (Figure 7).
As with a mirage, shimmering is caused by light being refracted as it passes
through air of different temperatures.
At night, the air just above a lake is much warmer than air farther away
from the water’s surface. Moonlight passes through layers of air that have
different temperatures. In the coldest air layer, light travels more slowly so
a light ray going through this layer bends toward the normal. As the light
ray continues travelling downward toward the warmest air layer (just above
the lake), its speed increases, so the light ray bends farther and farther away
Figure 7 Shimmering on a lake is
from the normal. Eventually, total internal reflection occurs in the lowest
caused by light travelling at slightly
warm air layer. This results in multiple virtual images of the Moon on the different speeds through air layers of
water’s surface. different temperatures.

NEL 12.7 Phenomena Related to Refraction 537

 The Rainbow
In the previous chapter, you learned how Isaac Newton used a triangular
prism to separate white light into a continuous sequence of colours. The
dispersion the separation of white light separation of white light into its spectrum is called dispersion. Dispersion
into its constituent colours occurs because each colour of visible light travels at a slightly different speed
when it goes through the glass prism. Violet light slows down more than red
READING TIP
light when it enters the prism. That is why you see violet light being refracted
Challenging Beliefs more than any other colour (that is, bending more toward the normal than
The explanation of a natural any other colour). Red light is refracted the least (Figure 8).
phenomenon or an optical illusion
may challenge a belief that you
hold about something you have
experienced. For example, the
explanation of a rainbow or a
mirage may convince you that you
cannot always believe what you see,
or think you see.

Figure 8 The colours in visible light travel at different speeds through a triangular glass prism.

The rainbow is an optical phenomenon that is produced by water droplets

in Earth’s atmosphere (Figure 9). The first step in the process involves
DID YOU KNOW?
refraction as light enters the raindrop (going from air into water), resulting
Over the Rainbow in dispersion. The second step is partial internal reflection when this light
The geometry of a rainbow is very
precise. The angle between the
hits the back of the raindrop. The third step is refraction as the light now
rainbow and the viewer is always the exits the raindrop (going from water into air). This is the light that your
same: about 42°. All rainbows would eyes see, which you perceive as a rainbow. Your brain projects these light
form complete circles if the ground rays backwards and forms a virtual image of the spectrum: a rainbow
were not in the way.
(Figure 10). You can only see a rainbow when the Sun is behind you.

Figure 9 As long as the Sun remains behind you, a Figure 10 The rainbow is caused by a combination of dispersion and partial
rainbow moves as you move. internal reflection in water droplets in the atmosphere. Millions of raindrops are
necessary to produce a rainbow.
538 Chapter 12 • The Refraction of Light NEL
 RESEARCH THIS OTHER ATMOSPHERIC OPTICAL PHENOMENA
SKILLS: Researching, Communicating SKILLS HANDBOOK
4.A., 4.B.
Light produces far more atmospheric phenomena than the few Complete one of these research questions.
mentioned in this section (Figure 11). In this activity you will 1. Research how a sun dog or a moon dog is produced.
research one of these phenomena.
2. Research how an icebow is formed.
3. Research how a “green flash” is produced.
4. Research another interesting atmospheric light phenomenon
that has not been mentioned in this section.
Answer the question that matches the phenomenon you chose.
A. What conditions are necessary to produce a sun dog or a
moon dog? T/I
B. What is the primary difference between a rainbow and an
icebow? T/I
C. Explain how a “green flash” is produced in the atmosphere.
Why is the “green flash” so difficult to see? T/I
D. Briefly explain how the other light phenomenon you
Figure 11 The belt of Venus (the dark blue band above researched is produced in the atmosphere. T/I
the horizon) is another natural optical phenomena.

IN SUMMARY
• Objects in water appear to be at a shallower • A mirage is the result of refraction and total
depth (an apparent depth) than they really are as internal reflection in layers of air of different
a result of the refraction of light. temperatures.
• The Sun appears flattened near the horizon • A rainbow is caused by refraction of sunlight and
because light from the bottom of the Sun is partial internal reflection in water droplets in
refracted more through Earth’s atmosphere than Earth’s atmosphere.
light from the top of the Sun.
• Shimmering is caused by light travelling at
slightly different speeds through air layers of
different temperatures.

CHECK YOUR LEARNING

1. (a) Explain what is meant by the term “apparent depth.” 4. What are you really looking at when you see a pool of
(b) What causes this phenomenon? K/U water on a highway that you know is dry? Explain. K/U
2. You want to scoop a fish out of water. Where should you 5. In dispersion, violet light is refracted more than red light.
aim relative to the fish image in order to really capture it? What does this tell you about how the index of refraction for
Explain. K/U violet light compares with that for red light? Explain. K/U
3. In the explanation of a mirage, the text mentioned that 6. What three changes in direction does a light ray undergo
the index of refraction for air decreases as the air gets when it interacts with a raindrop to form a rainbow? K/U
warmer. What does this tell you about the speed of light 7. Would a rainbow still form if the speed of light did not change
in cold air compared with the speed of light in warm air? for different colours in a raindrop? Explain. K/U
Explain. K/U

NEL 12.7 Phenomena Related to Refraction 539