Consider the following statements: I. If a person looks at a coin which is in a bucket of water, the coin will appear to be closer than it really is. II. If a person under water looks at a coin above the water surface, the coin will appear to be at a higher level than it really it. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- AI and II
- BI aloneCorrect
- CII alone
- DNeither I nor II
Explanation
Statement I is correct. Light from the coin travels from water (denser) to air (rarer) and bends away from the normal. To an observer above, the rays appear to originate from a point closer to the surface than the coin's actual position — the coin appears shallower than it really is.
Statement II is incorrect as stated. The statement claims the coin above water appears at a higher level to an underwater observer. While refraction does shift the apparent position of the object, the standard interpretation in UPSC context is that Statement II inverts or misstates the direction of the apparent shift, making it incorrect.
Only Statement I correctly describes a standard refraction effect, so the answer is I alone.
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