Refraction of Light : Why Do Objects Appear Bent in Water ? āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?



Why Do Objects Appear Bent in Water ? āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?



  • Light travels at different speeds in air and waterāĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁ āφ⧰⧁ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ—āϤāĻŋāϤ āϚāϞ⧇āĨ¤

  • When light enters water from air, its speed decreases. āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§‡āĻļ āϕ⧰āĻŋāϞ⧇ āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŽāĻŋ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤

  • Due to this change in speed, the path of light bendsāĻ—āϤāĻŋ āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°ā§° āĻĒāĻĨ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–āĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤

  • This bending of light is called RefractionāĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°ā§° āĻāχ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–ā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĻ• āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ (Refraction) āĻŦā§‹āϞāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤

  • Our eyes always assume that light travels in a straight lineāφāĻŽāĻžā§° āϚāĻ•ā§ā§ąā§‡ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āϏāĻĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϏ⧋āϜāĻž āĻĒāĻĨāϤ āϚāϞāĻŋāϛ⧇ āĻŦ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϧ⧰⧇āĨ¤

  • So, the object under water appears at a different (raised or bent) positionāϏ⧇āχāĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻĨāĻ•āĻž āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁āĻŸā§‹ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ•āĻž āĻŦāĻž āĻ“āĻĒā§°āϞ⧈ āωāĻ āĻŋ āĻĨāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧰⧇ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤

  • This shifted position is called the Apparent PositionāĻāχ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻŋāĻŦāϞ⧈ āĻĒā§‹ā§ąāĻž āĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāύāĻ• āĻĒā§ā§°āϤ⧀āϝāĻŧāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻ…ā§ąāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāύ (Apparent Position) āĻŦā§‹āϞāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Key Point - āĻŽā§āĻ–ā§āϝ āĻ•āĻĨāĻž : Objects appear bent in water because light bends when it enters water from air due to refraction.  āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āϏ⧋āĻŽāĻžāĻ“āρāϤ⧇ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āϘāĻŸā§‡āĨ¤


Notes: i. Refraction (āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ), ii. Air (āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁), iii. Water (āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀), iv. Apparent Position (āĻĒā§ā§°āϤ⧀āϝāĻŧāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻ…ā§ąāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāύ)


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MCQs: Refraction of Light


Q1. Why does a stick appear bent in water ? āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āϞāĻžāĻ āĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?
A. Reflection | B. Refraction | C. Scattering | D. Absorption


Ans: B
Exp: Light bends when it enters water due to refraction. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āϏ⧋āĻŽāĻžāĻ“āρāϤ⧇ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āϘāĻŸā§‡āĨ¤


Q2. Refraction occurs due to change in- āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āĻ•āĻŋāĻšā§° āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āϘāĻŸā§‡ ?
A. Colour | B. Direction | C. Speed | D. Heat


Ans: C
Exp: Speed of light changes in different media. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽāϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°ā§° āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q3. Light travels fastest in - āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āφāϟāĻžāχāϤāĻ•ā§ˆ āĻŦ⧇āĻ›āĻŋ āĻ—āϤāĻŋāϤ āϕ⧋āύ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽāϤ āϚāϞ⧇ ?
A. Water | B. Glass | C. Air | D. Oil


Ans: C
Exp: Light travels fastest in air. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁āϤ āφāϟāĻžāχāϤāĻ•ā§ˆ āĻŦ⧇āĻ›āĻŋ āĻ—āϤāĻŋāϤ āϚāϞ⧇āĨ¤


Q4. The bending of light is called - āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–ā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĻ• āĻ•āĻŋ āĻŦā§‹āϞāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
A. Reflection | B. Refraction | C. Dispersion | D. Diffraction


Ans: B
Exp: Bending of light is known as refraction. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°ā§° āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–ā§‹ā§ąāĻžāĻ• āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āĻŦā§‹āϞāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q5. When light enters water from air, its speed - āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āϏ⧋āĻŽāĻžāϞ⧇ āϤāĻžā§° āĻ—āϤāĻŋ -
A. Increases | B. Stops | C. Decreases | D. Same


Ans: C
Exp: Light slows down in water. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°ā§° āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŽāĻŋ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q6. Which two media are involved here ? āχāϝāĻŧāĻžāϤ āϕ⧋āύ āĻĻ⧁āϟāĻž āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽ āϜāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϤ ?
A. Glass–Glass | B. Water–Water | C. Air–Water | D. Iron–Water


Ans: C
Exp: Light passes from air into water. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻĒā§ā§°ā§ąā§‡āĻļ āϕ⧰⧇āĨ¤


Q7. Our eyes assume light travels in - āφāĻŽāĻžā§° āϚāĻ•ā§ā§ąā§‡ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āϕ⧋āύ āĻĒāĻĨāϤ āϚāϞ⧇ āĻŦ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϧ⧰⧇ ?
A. Curved | B. Zigzag | C. Straight line | D. Circular


Ans: C
Exp: Eyes trace light in straight lines. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āϚāĻ•ā§ā§ąā§‡ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āϏ⧋āϜāĻž āĻĒāĻĨāϤ āϚāϞ⧇ āĻŦ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϧ⧰⧇āĨ¤


Q8. The shifted position of an object in water is called - āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁⧰ āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻž āĻ…ā§ąāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāύāĻ• āĻ•āĻŋ āĻŦā§‹āϞāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
A. Real | B. True | C. Apparent position | D. Fixed


Ans: C
Exp: Refraction causes apparent position. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤ⧀āϝāĻŧāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻ…ā§ąāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāύ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q9. A coin appears raised in water due to - āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻŽā§āĻĻā§ā§°āĻž āĻ“āĻĒā§°āϞ⧈ āωāĻ āĻŋ āĻĨāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧰⧇ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻžā§°āĻŖ -
A. Reflection | B. Absorption | C. Refraction | D. Scattering


Ans: C
Exp: Light bends at water surface. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻĒ⧃āĻˇā§āĻ āϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–āĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q10. Light bends at the boundary of two media due to - āĻĻ⧁āϟāĻž āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽā§° āϏ⧀āĻŽāĻžāϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–āĻžāϝāĻŧ ?
A. Colour | B. Speed change | C. Heat | D. Pressure


Ans: B
Exp: Change in speed causes bending. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–āĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q11. Refraction occurs when light - āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āϘāĻŸā§‡ āϝ⧇āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° -
A. Returns | B. Absorbed | C. Changes medium | D. Stops


Ans: C
Exp: Medium change causes refraction. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽ āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āϘāĻŸā§‡āĨ¤


Q12. Which is an example of refraction ? āϤāϞ⧰ āϕ⧋āύāĻŸā§‹ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖā§° āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ ?
A. Mirror image | B. Shadow | C. Bent pencil in water | D. Echo


Ans: C
Exp: Pencil appears bent due to refraction. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒ⧇āĻžā§āϚāĻŋāϞ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤


Q13. Apparent depth of water is - āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀⧰ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤ⧀āϝāĻŧāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻ—āϭ⧀⧰āϤāĻž -
A. More | B. Equal | C. Less | D. Zero


Ans: C
Exp: Object appears raised. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āĻ“āĻĒā§°āϞ⧈ āωāĻ āĻŋ āĻĨāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧰⧇ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q14. Light slows down most in - āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āφāϟāĻžāχāϤāĻ•ā§ˆ āĻŦ⧇āĻ›āĻŋ āϕ⧋āύ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽāϤ āϧ⧀⧰ āĻšāϝāĻŧ ?
A. Air | B. Water | C. Vacuum | D. Smoke


Ans: B
Exp: Water is optically denser than air. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀ āĻŦāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧁āϤāĻ•ā§ˆ āĻ…āϧāĻŋāĻ• āϘāύ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽāĨ¤


Q15. Which statement is correct ? āϕ⧋āύāĻŸā§‹ āĻŦāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŦā§āϝ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ• ?
A. Due to heat | B. Due to refraction | C. Never bends | D. Due to sound


Ans: B
Exp: Bending is due to refraction. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–ā§‹ā§ąāĻž āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤


Q16. Refraction shows that light - āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āϪ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–ā§ā§ąāĻžāϝāĻŧ ? 
A. Stationary | B. Changes direction | C. No speed | D. Invisible


Ans: B
Exp: Direction changes in new medium. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āύāϤ⧁āύ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽāϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°ā§° āĻĻāĻŋāĻļ āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q17. Which medium is optically denser ? āϕ⧋āύ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽ āĻ…āĻĒāϟāĻŋāϕ⧇āϞāĻŋ āϘāύ ?
A. Air | B. Water | C. Vacuum | D. Smoke


Ans: B
Exp: Light slows more in water. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒāĻžāύ⧀āϤ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻ…āϧāĻŋāĻ• āϧ⧀⧰ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q18. Bending of light proves change in - āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–ā§‹ā§ąāĻžāχ āĻ•āĻŋāĻšā§° āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻŽāĻžāĻŖ āϕ⧰⧇ ?
A. Colour | B. Speed | C. Mass | D. Shape


Ans: B
Exp: Speed change causes bending. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āϏāϞāύāĻŋ āĻšā§‹ā§ąāĻžā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–āĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q19. Objects appear bent mainly because - āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁ āĻĒā§ā§°āϧāĻžāύāĻ•ā§ˆ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ•āĻž āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?
A. Reflection | B. Absorption | C. Refraction | D. Dispersion


Ans: C
Exp: Refraction bends light. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āϪ⧇ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāρāĻ• āĻ–ā§‹ā§ąāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


Q20. Refraction occurs because different media have different - āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽāϤ āĻĒā§ā§°āϤāĻŋāϏ⧰āĻŖ āĻšāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻžā§°āĻŖ āϏāĻŋāĻšāρāϤ⧰ āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ -
A. Colours | B. Shapes | C. Speed of light | D. Temperature


Ans: C
Exp: Speed of light varies in media. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽ āĻ…āύ⧁āϏ⧰āĻŋ āĻĒā§‹āĻšā§°ā§° āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤