Although you can see the pencil, it appears broken in the glass of water. This is because

A) electromagnetic waves cannot travel through solids.

B) electromagnetic waves travel at different speeds through different media.

C) electromagnetic waves compress more when they travel through denser media.

D) electromagnetic waves get closer together when they go through dense media like glass.

Question

Physics

Mckenna Spence

7 September, 15:06

Although you can see the pencil, it appears broken in the glass of water. This is because

A) electromagnetic waves cannot travel through solids.

B) electromagnetic waves travel at different speeds through different media.

C) electromagnetic waves compress more when they travel through denser media.

D) electromagnetic waves get closer together when they go through dense media like glass.

+3

Answers (1)

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Dexter Levy · Answer 1

B, Refractive index of the water could be the key to this "optical illusion".

EM waves travel more slowly in any other medium other than a vacuum or air as the next best thing. And that gives rise to the idea of light "bending" and refractive index.