The document explains the scientific phenomenon of mirages using simple physical concepts. It describes how differences in environmental characteristics, such as temperature variations in air, can cause light rays to divert or change trajectory when passing through different mediums. Specifically, it discusses how the heating of roads by the sun on hot summer days can create an interface with cooler air above, causing incoming light rays from the sky to reflect back in our direction - appearing as a body of water and creating the illusion of a mirage.

1. THE MIRAGES

2. Mirage on the road

3. To explain you the phenomene of the mirage , you need fiew simple physical notion . So , I’m going to talk you about them .

4. HOW A MIRAGE IS WORKING : (Explication) SCIENTIFIC NOTION YOU NEED TO KNOW: Lights rays are waves The behaviour of the wave depends of the caracteristique environnement from where it is .

5. As you can see in this glass , there is two different caracteristic’s environnements : one is the air , and an other one is the water . When you put a pen into the water , it seems that the pen is broken . In fact it is not broken , it’s an illusion .

6. When lights rays crosses diferrent caracteristic’s environnement , the wave diverts . It changes its trajectory , its speed , its direction ,… I will show you an outline :

7. Reflection ’s phenomene by Snell-Descartes: Ray1 is comming Ray2 is divert At the interface , the wave is divert

8. The temperature variation modify the caracteristic’s environnement . When , the wave crosses this difference , this interface , the direction and the trajectory of the wave change . So it means , that the behaviour of the wave is going to change to .

9. Now , we know bit more . Let’s come back to the mirage , when you are on the road , when it’s very hot .

10. Scientific explication about the mirage : In the air , the temperature is not constant . Sometimes , you can have a difference of temperature of ten degrees beetwin the ground and ten meters higher . Like we already saw before , a difference of temperature change the caracteristic’s environnement. So , it means a comming ray on this interface will be divert .

11. On the summer day, the sun is heating the road . The road is comming hoter than the air above it . It create an interface .

12. Ray lights comming from the sky on the road are divert . They are changing of direction and trajectory … They are comming in our direction .

13. So , what we see , is the reflection of the sky ; that look likes a puddle of water . This is a mirage . Now , you know , what , you will see .