why air becomes “wobbly” (and, thus, kind of visible) when it’s hot

Question

why air becomes “wobbly” (and, thus, kind of visible) when it’s hot

In: 581

Answer 1

Heat rises. Really hot air rises. When it’s really hot out, the air is rising so quickly that it distorts the light passing through. The distorted light reaches your eyes and it makes things look all wiggly.