Which of the following optical phenomena explains why a swimming pool appears shallower than its actual measured depth?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The refraction of light causes a swimming pool to appear shallower than its actual depth because light rays bend as they travel from the denser water medium into the rarer air medium. When these refracted rays reach the human eye, they appear to originate from a higher virtual position due to optical bending. Refraction is also responsible for phenomena such as the twinkling of stars and the apparent bending of a stick immersed in water.