We know that light refracts (or bends) when it goes from one medium to another. Now, the atmosphere contains only air. Then how does light get refracted on passing through only air in the atmosphere?

Academic Physics NCERT Class 10

We know that light refracts when it goes from one medium to another. Though the earth's atmosphere contains only air, the light gets refracted on passing through only it in the atmosphere because the atmosphere contains layers of air that are at different temperatures.

The cooler air layer of the atmosphere behaves as an optically denser medium for the light rays, whereas the hotter or warmer air layer of the atmosphere behaves as an optically rarer medium for the light rays. Hence, when light travels through these layers of air having different optical densities, bending of light, or refraction, takes place.

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Updated on: 10-Oct-2022

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