Name: Total Internal Reflection From Prism
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 1 min 56 s
Description: You must have seen reflectors on a bicycle. Why are they attached to the mudguards? What use do they have? Let’s watch this video on reflectors to find out.

Question

Explain the phenomenon of mirage formation in deserts.

Accepted Answer

It is an optical illusion due to the refraction of light in a non uniform medium which gives the appearance of water on roads or deserts. This phenomenon is observed during sunny days.

Mirage formation is due to the phenomenon of total internal reflection. During hot summer the temperature of layers of air keeps on increasing as we move towards the ground. This variation in temperature vary the refractive index, refractive index of ground will become less denser than the above layer.

Light rays falls from tree on the ground that is light travels from denser medium towards rarer. This will result into multiple refractions during each refraction from the layer angle of incidence keeps on increasing and becomes more than the critical angle and thus light ray will reflect completely into the same medium. When these refracted rays are produced back it will form the image of the tree. This will create a illusion that there must be water on the ground on which the image of tree is formed.

Explain the phenomenon of mirage formation in deserts.

Important Questions on Refraction at Plane Surfaces

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