1. If a person looks at a coin which is in a bucket of water, the coin will appear to be closer than it really is.
2. If a person under water looks at a coin above the water surface, the coin will appear to be at a higher level than it really is.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Explanation
When light passes from one medium to another, its speed and direction change due to differences in the refractive indices of the two media. This phenomenon is known as refraction.
Statement 1 is correct: In a denser medium (with a higher refractive index), light travels slower. When light moves into a less dense medium (with a lower refractive index), it speeds up. As a result, the light bends away from the normal (the imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence). The object appears to be closer from the surface than it actually is, as seen in the case of a coin in water when viewed from above.
Statement 2 is correct: If a person is underwater looking at a coin above the surface, the coin appears higher than its actual position, not lower. This is because light bends away from the normal when moving from water (denser) to air (rarer).