At the time of sunset the sun appears to be at an altitude higher than its actual position. This is because of
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Refraction of light
Refraction is the bending of light when it passes from one medium into another of different refractive index. The earth's atmosphere is denser near the ground, so its refractive index increases as the light comes down towards the observer.
Sunlight entering the atmosphere is bent a little at every layer, towards the normal, and follows a curved path. The eye sees the sun along the direction of the ray that finally reaches it, which points above the sun's true position. This atmospheric refraction makes the sun appear higher; it is even seen for about two minutes after it has actually set below the horizon.
Note: This question is from the pre-rationalised NCERT book (2022-23). The topic was removed from the latest NCERT book (2026-27), and it also appears to be out of the CUET 2026 syllabus.
NCERT (Pre-rationalised edition, 2022-23):
Refraction – “… The refraction of light through the atmosphere is responsible for many interesting phenomena. For example, the sun is visible a little before the actual sunrise and until a little after the actual sunset due to refraction of light through the atmosphere (Fig. 9.11).”