Do Pools Look Shallower?

A good example of refraction is when you see the bottom of a swimming pool. The light travels from the bottom of the pool, through the water, then through the air into your eye. The light travels in such a way that the pool often appears to be shallower than it really is.

Do swimming pools look deeper than they are?

A pool of water appears to be less deep than it actually is because light rays from bottom of pool are bent away from the normal as they pass from water into the air. This makes the pool appear shallower than it really is.

Does a pool appear to be shallow when viewed normally?

Explanation: Refraction of light at the surface of the water makes swimming pools appear shallower than its actual depth when viewed from directly above. The reason is that the rays of light reaching us from the object at the bottom of the water do not come straight to us.