Science Secrets · Drawing 10 of 40
Did My Straw Break?
Light and Sound
This straw looks shifted at the water’s surface. Yet it is straight! Light changes direction as it passes between water and air. Our eyes then see a shifted image.
Did you know?
This change in light’s direction is called refraction.
Look together
Which of the two straws looks broken?
An idea to try
With an adult, look at a straight straw in a glass of water, then out of the water. Look from several sides.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The apparent shift depends on viewpoint and the interfaces crossed. The real straw stays straight. The drawing simplifies its image at the waterline.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Simplified scene and shapes. Models, imagined comparisons and enlargements do not preserve all real measurements.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Science World: The Disappearing GlassLight changes speed and direction when it passes between materials such as water and air; a pencil in a cup of water appears to bend.
Page prepared on October 13, 2026. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
This drawing is from the book Science Secrets to Colour
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