Mirages form due to refraction of light when it passes through layers of air at different temperatures.
Simple Explanation:
- On a hot day, the ground heats the air just above it.
- This hot air is less dense than the cooler air above it.
- When light from the sky travels downward, it bends (refracts) gradually as it moves through layers of air with changing density.
- The light bends upward after hitting the hot air near the ground.
- Our eyes think the light is coming from the ground, so we see a shiny reflection or “water” on the road.
- This is not real water, just an illusion — a mirage.
Key Point:
Mirages are caused by refraction and total internal reflection of light in air layers with different temperatures.