Light refraction

[Kateryna]

Hi, guys!

I really need help! Does anyone know any cool experiment that involves light refraction and optical illusions? Something simple!

Or maybe just something cool with light refraction... Perhaps there's a page with physics projects related to this that you can suggest..

Thanks!

[John Cuthber]

I always thought being able to see was something cool that involves refraction.

There's also a party trick that relies on it.

The refractive indicies of perspex and glycerine are pretty nearly the same.

If you get a clear perspex container and put a short length of perspex pipe in it (on it's end) then fill the whole thing up with glycerine you can't see the pipe because there's no noticeable refraction of light as it travels from the glycerine to the perspex. If you drop a big steel ball bearing into the container it falls through the glycerine but it's held up by the pipe. It looks like it's floating in the middle of the liquid.

OK, not much of a trick.

Anyone know any better ones?