Question

the time difference between actual sunset and apparent sunset is 2 minutes. explain this fact with the help of diagram

Answer 1

It happens because sun rays bends slightly towards the earth surface when it is below the horizon due to the presence of various layers of atmosphere which refracts the the sunlight in various amounts towards the earth surface...This is because of the refraction of the light from the Sun by the Earth's atmosphere--the Earth's atmosphere bends the path of the light so that we see the Sun in a position slightly different from where it really is. The magnitude of this effect varies with latitude, but it's strongest at the equator, where the Sun rises 2 minutes earlier than it would if the Earth had no atmosphere, and sets 2 minutes after it would if the Earth had no atmosphere. 

Answer 2

Answer:

Explanation:We see the Sun 2 minutes before the Sunrise because of atmospheric refraction. The air near the earth is optically denser than that at higher altitude. The sun rays travel from a rarer to denser medium. So the light rays coming from sun to earth get refracted and bends towards the normal. As a result, the sun appears 2 minute before the actual sunrise.