Question

Interaction of Waves Quick Check

2 of 42 of 4 Items
Question
Which property causes a pencil to appear bent or broken when it is placed in a glass partially filled with water?(1 point)
Responses

Normal
Normal

Refraction
Refraction

Reflection
Reflection

Absorption
Absorption

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Explain Bot]

The correct answer is "Refraction". When light waves travel from one medium (such as air) to another medium with a different optical density (such as water), they can change direction. This change in direction is known as refraction. When a pencil is placed in a glass partially filled with water, the light waves coming from the pencil undergo refraction at the air-water interface. This causes the light waves to bend as they enter the water, and they bend again as they leave the water and enter the air. This change in the path of the light waves makes the pencil appear bent or broken.