Question

While standing on a lakeside pier, you see a fish in the water and decide to trysome less common methods of snagging dinner.

(a) If you try to snag the fish with a harpoon,where should you aim?

(b) Where should you aim if you instead use a high-powered laser to zapthe fish?

Answer 1

For (a) answer:

One need to know that due to refraction of light rays from the fish which travels from the water to the air, the fish is not positioned where you think it is, the fish is actually below where you perceive it to be. Therefore, in other to hit the fish one should target below where you see the image of the fish.

For (b) answer:

When using a laser, one should aim directly at the image you see of the fish because unlike the arrow, the laser will refract the same way the light is refracted thus getting the correct direction of where the fish is.

Answer 2

A. To snag the fish with a harpoon, you should aim below where you see the fish.

Step-by-step explanation:

Lets consider the refraction of light in water.

Light from the fish causes refraction (changes direction) at the surface. That's why the apparent position of the fish is more closer to the surface than its real position.

If you target above where you observe the fish, you miss.

If you aim straight where you see the fish, you miss.

If you aim below where you spot the fish, you will be hit your target.

Therefore, to snag the fish with a harpoon, you should target below where you spot the fish.

B. Using the laser, you should target directly or straight at (the image of) the fish. Its advantage over an arrow is yhe ability of laser light to be refracted by the water. If you target in the spot where you observe the fish, the laser light will refract by the exact same amount as the light passed from the fish to ones eyes (as in reverse).