Miguel is skipping rocks across the surface of a lake. After he throws it, each stone goes through the following motions:
I. the stone moves toward the water
II. the stone hits the surface of the water and bounces off
III. gravity pulls the stone back toward the water
IV. the stone enters the water and slows down
In which part of the stone's movement is the stone most like a beam of light that is being refracted?
A. III
B. IV
C. I
D. II
It's B or IV
it is IV
The correct answer is D. II.
When a stone hits the surface of the water and bounces off, it undergoes the process called refraction. Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another, such as from air to water. Similarly, when the stone hits the water, it changes its direction due to the change in medium, just like how light changes its direction when it passes from one medium to another. Therefore, the stone's motion in Part II is most like a beam of light being refracted.
To determine which part of the stone's movement is most like a beam of light being refracted, let's first understand what refraction is.
Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another, resulting in a change in its direction. This phenomenon occurs because light waves travel at different speeds in different mediums.
Now, let's analyze each stage of the stone's movement and compare it to the behavior of a beam of light being refracted:
I. The stone moves toward the water: In this stage, the stone is not behaving like a beam of light being refracted. Light waves do not move towards the water before refraction occurs.
II. The stone hits the surface of the water and bounces off: Although this stage involves a change in direction, it is not similar to refraction. The behavior is more reminiscent of reflection, where the light waves bounce off a surface instead of entering and bending.
III. Gravity pulls the stone back towards the water: This stage does not resemble refraction either. Refraction involves the change in direction of light waves caused by the change in medium, whereas gravity pulling the stone is a force acting upon the object.
IV. The stone enters the water and slows down: This stage is the most similar to the behavior of a beam of light being refracted. When light enters a different medium, such as water, it changes speed and direction. Similarly, when the stone enters the water, it experiences a change in its speed and is affected by the different density of the water. This slowing down and change in direction is analogous to the phenomenon of refraction in light.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
B. IV