refraction

The bending of light as it passes through a transparent medium like water or glass. Refraction is what makes a straight stick look bent underwater, and what makes everything look fisheyed through curved glass.

Ripples of light caused by this effect underwater or at the bottom of a pool are called caustics.

Examples

Refracted image through broken glass

Lens effect (inverted image)

Glass ball refraction

Dispersion

Rainbow refraction

Eyewear view

Non-examples

Caustics

Caustics (underwater)

See also

• caustics
• heat haze
• Tag group:Lighting