Question

A diver underwater looks obliquely at a fisherman standing on the bank of a lake. Would the fisherman look taller or shorter to the diver than what he actually is?

To a fish underwater viewing obliquely, does a fisherman standing on the bank of a lake appear taller or shorter than his actual height?

Answer 1

The diver is in the water and the fisherman is on land (i.e., in the air). Water is a denser medium than air. It is given that the diver is viewing the fisherman. This feature indicates that the light rays are travelling from a denser medium to a rarer medium. Therefore, the refracted rays will diverge from the normal line. As a result, the fisherman will appear to be taller.