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# Apparent Depth and Distortion

"Give me but one firm spot on which to stand, and I will move the earth"
Archimedes

- The depth of a swimming pool always appears to be less than it actually is. This effect is due to the refraction of light rays as they traverse the boundary between water and air.
- In the following graphic, the chest appears to be closer to the surface than it actually is.
- By using Snell's law and simple geometry it can be shown that
- Spearfishing is particularly difficult due to the apparent depth phenomenon !!
- The discontinuous bending of a stick held partly in and partly out of water is also a result of light refraction at the air-water interface.

"Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it."
Richard Feynman.

Dr. C. L. Davis
Physics Department
University of Louisville
email: c.l.davis@louisville.edu