why does a straw look bent when you put it in a glass of water?

Answer 1

It's called Refraction. The straw seems to be broken, due to refraction of light as it emerges into the air.

Answer 2

Straw In Water Refraction

Answer 3

Refraction of light as it hits water. Water is more dense then the air around it so the light rays bend at a different angle as they enter the water. This creates an optical illusion making the straw look bent.

Answer 4

The straw is not bent, but only appears bent because the water has caused the light to be refracted and distorts the reality to make it look like something that is not.

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

the straw looks bend when you put in a glass of water because of the angle of refraction.
there is a certain formula you can use to determine the exact angle, but it can be explained:

when the light hits the glass, it's at a certain angle, and since the light is going from air to glass, it has to pass through a thicker material, this makes the light bend in a different direction which therefore makes the straw look like it's bent

Answer 6

This is due to the refraction of light as it goes into water. When a wave, such as light waves, enters a denser medium (e.g. air to water) it slows slightly thus changing its direction.

What you are actually seeing is the reflection off the straw coming back through the water-air interface to your eye.

Answer 7

Read Wikipedia's article on "refraction". The light reaching your eye shifts as it enters different medium, that is goes from moving through water to moving through the air back to your eye.

Answer 8

Speed of light isn't constant if the medium it's travelling through isn't constant. When image light is sped up or slowed down, leaving or entering water, you get refraction. Mirages are from this phenomena too, except its from two different temperatures of medium not two different mediums.