Why does fire make things look blurry?

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Why does fire make things look blurry?

In: Physics

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The air immediately above the fire is hotter than the other air around it. Hot air is less dense and has a different refractive index. This makes light bend in funny ways making things look blurry.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The shimmer you see above a fire, or on a hot day in the distance is because air, when heated, expands, causing it to become less dense, or thinner. Light travels faster through warmer, thinner air than through colder, ‘thicker’ air. Since the air density and temperature isn’t uniform, you get a shimmer or haze.