How Does a Mirage Trick Our Eyes?

A mirage is like a trick your eyes play when the air gets hot. Imagine walking on a sunny road, the ground is really hot, and it warms up the air near it. When light from far away hits this warm air, it bends, or refracts, making things look like they're floating in the sky or on water. It's like seeing a lake where there is none!

Why it happens

Hot air is less dense than cold air, so when light travels through different layers of air, it changes direction, just like when you put a straw in a glass of water and it looks bent.

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Examples

On a hot summer day, the road looks like it's covered with water, even though there is none.
You see a shimmering lake on a desert highway, but it disappears when you get closer.
A car seems to float above the hot pavement like it's in the sky.

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Categories: Physics · Optics,Refraction,Mirages