Refraction

“The following simple experiment illustrates the effect of refraction:—Place a silver coin, m, at the bottom of the basin. The rays, i i, proceeding to the eye from the silver surface, render the coin visible. The point a, the eye, is then moved farther bck, so that the edge of the basin obstructs the direct rays, and of course the coin is no longer seen. If an attendant carefully pours water into the basin, so that the object is not moved, it will presently, as the water rises in the basin, become again visible. This arises from the refraction of the rays by the water, the image, indeed, appearing at n instead of at m.” —Wells, 1857

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