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To keep things simple, let's simply accept that water and air have different densities.
This means that there are fewer molecules per square millimeter.
When light hits an atom or molecule, it must be absorbed then emitted again. This takes time.
This, in turn, means that light does not take as much time to move through air than water. When light enters water from air, it "slows down" and its direction changes as a result. This effect is known as refraction.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoLight can be considered to be a 'plane' wave perpendicular to the direction of travel.
When the light enters the water it slows down.
As the whole wave front does not enter the water at the same time that part of the wave entering the water first will travel less distance than the remaining wave travels in the air.
The result is that the wave front changes direction, the wave bends towards to normal, which in turn is a line perpendicular to the surface of the water.
This explanation is best shown as a diagram which is impossible in this in format.
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When you put a pencil in water why does it look bent?
An interesting property of light called refraction just took place. When light enters the water, it can't move as fast and it has to slow down slightly. It's kind of like how if you are walking, you can walk at a normal speed but if you walk in water, you can't walk quite as fast. If light from the image enters the water straight, then the image looks normal - which was what you originally did when the pencil was straight up and down. If the light enters the water at an angle, then the change in speed between the open air and water causes the light beam to bend away from its original path. When the pencil was at an angle, the image was at a bigger angle in the water than in the air and made the pencil look like it was bent.
Are light rays refracted or bent as they pass from on substance to a different substance?
Yes, and that is called Refraction. This is because the speed of light can vary from medium to medium. The speed of light commonly known is the speed of light at a vacuum.Put a straw to a glass of water and look from above. You may see the straight straw bent at the surface of water, because the light rays that come from under the water are bent when passing the water/air barrier. Because light rays speeds up when entering air from water. This change of speed can change the angle it was travelling.Light is an electro magnetic wave. Electro magnetic waves have the wave particle duality, that it behaves as a energy wave as well as a particle stream. Therefore, em waves also has a mass.
Why can you see a ruler bend in water?
It is because of the way water deflects the light. The image perceived by the retina is a pictorial representation of a reflection of light. Water and air are different mediums through which the electromagnetic light travels through.
Why does a straw appear bent in a cup of water?
A straw looks "bent" when it's in water because water causes light to "change course" when it moves from air into the water. The light will again be caused to change course when it leaves the water to go back into air. This is called refraction. Refraction is a fundamental property exhibited by a wave that changes mediums through which it is traveling.Or, making it simple..A straw seems bent because water is denser than air, so when it changes from air to water is applied it seems bent.
Why is light not visible through a bent pipe?
light does not bend and can not provide sufficent amounts of light in for visibility
What causes a pencil to look bent in water?
Water can cause a distortion of the light and in turn causes optical illusions. The water refracts light in such a way that objects viewed through light can appear bent, or angled sharply. This is a function of refraction.
Why does the light bent toward normal when enter from air to glass even if it reduce speed but why bent?
i think the answer is that {it is my own thinking answer} when light enter from air to water it bent because it want follow a principle which is light take same time to travel in same distance in air and water therefore when it enter water it reduce speed so obiviously it take more time to travel a given distance then in air so to follow the principle that it take same time time to travel in air and water ,light bent inorder to decrease distance so by decreasing distance it will take same time
What is the conclusion of broken pencil?
-the pencil looks broken & bent in water. - the pencil looks bent, because of the refraction of light, that causes that to happen. -pencil looks really thick, in water.
What causes a stick to bend when immersed in water?
Because of light refraction. Water has a larger refractive index than air, making light that travels to your eye bent. Shabbir Tareen Quetta.
What is the name of the effect where light rays are bent as they enter a medium with a different density?
Refraction
Why does a spoon appear bent when immersed in a half filled glass of water?
A pencil in water looks bent because of refraction. when light enters a substance with a different density than the one it came out of, the light either slows down or speeds up. this makes the light appear bent. If there is a pencil in the water, it appears bent because the light is traveling at different speeds through water and air.
Does water absorb light?
It doesn't water refracts or bends the light which is why the straw looks bent in a glass of water
Is light is bent more by glass than water?
yes
Is Light bent more by glass than water?
yes
An interactiom of light with matter that causes light to change direction?
Refraction, when the light passes through matter and is bent, or reflection, when the light bounces off.
What causes wave interference?
- The answer to the question is something looking bent under water .
Why do objects appear to be bent when partially submerged under water?
The light rays from the submerged part of the objects are bent when they cross the water-air interface.
