Imagine you're walking on a very hot day. The road feels like it's melting, and sometimes, it looks like there is water on the road. That’s a mirage! It happens because when the sun heats up the road, the air near the ground gets hotter too. Hot air doesn’t hold light as well as cool air does, so light bends around the hot air, making things look wavy, just like water in the distance.
How it works
Think of a hot road like a big spoon full of soup. The heat from the road warms up the air right above it, and that warm air acts like a mirror for the light coming from far away. That’s why you see things that aren’t really there, like water on the road.
Examples
- You might think there's a puddle on your driveway, but it's not real.
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See also
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- What is Temperatures between 60°C and 75°C?
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Categories: Science · optics,mirages,heat,light