Question

The following image shows a pencil submerged in a glass of water. A friend thinks that the pencil is broken. How would you explain that the pencil only appears to be broken?
Light slows down as it moves from the air in to the water, resulting in refraction, or a bending of light.
Light speeds up as it moves from the air to the water, resulting in refraction, or a bending of light.
Light speeds up as it moves from the air to the water, resulting in reflection, or a bouncing of light.
Light slows down as it moves from the air to the water, resulting in reflection, or a bouncing of light.

Answer 1

Correct answer: A). Light slows down as it moves from the air in to the water, resulting in refraction, or a bending of light.

This is because as light travels through one media it travels in a straight line, however, when it travels from one media to another media it bends, light path bends because of the phenomenon of refraction of light.

The refraction takes place only at the boundary, as the light continues to cross the boundary, it travels in a straight line.

So, as the portion of the pencil is submerged in water, the light will travel from water to air.

Hence it appears to be broken because of refraction of light. So, the correct answer would be option A.