Why Do We See Mirages on Hot Roads?

Imagine you're walking on a hot day. The road looks like it has water on it, but there's no water, just science! The hot ground makes the air near the road really warm. When light from the sky hits this warm air, it bends, kind of like how a straw looks bent when it's in a glass of water. This bending tricks your eyes into thinking there’s water on the road. That’s why you see road mirages.

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Examples

  1. A hot road looks wet on a summer day.
  2. You see waves in the parking lot as if there was water on it.
  3. Mirages make the sky appear to be floating above the street.

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