Due to refraction, underwater objects appear _____ and _____ when viewed through a diver's mask?

• A. Smaller and closer
• B. Larger and farther
• C. Smaller and farther
• D. Larger and closer

Answer: (D)

Refraction at the water–air interface in a diver’s mask makes underwater objects look larger and closer. Light travels from water into the air in front of your eye and bends away from the normal, altering the path of the rays so they reach your eye as if they came from a point nearer than the actual object and spread out a bit more. The mask’s air gap acts like a magnifying lens, increasing the apparent size and shrinking the perceived distance. That’s why things look bigger and nearer when you’re looking through a mask.