Refraction: Why Objects Bend in Water

Refraction happens when light changes speed as it passes from one medium to another, like air to water.
Slower light in water causes rays to bend toward the normal line, shifting the path we see.
That bending makes a straw in a glass of water look “broken” at the surface.
Refraction explains why fish appear closer to the surface than they actually are.
Lenses in glasses, microscopes, and cameras rely on controlled refraction to focus images.
Rainbows form when sunlight refracts inside water droplets, splitting into colors.
The amount of bending depends on the refractive index of the medium.
Diamonds sparkle brilliantly because their high refractive index bends light dramatically.
Refraction is why pools look shallower than they really are.
Snell’s Law mathematically predicts how much light will bend when entering a new medium.