A beam of light travels from a medium with an index of refraction of 1.70 to a medium with an index of refraction of 1.30. If the beam refracts at an angle of 23.5° from the normal, at what angle to the normal did it enter the second medium?
Copyright © 2024 QUIZLS.COM - All rights reserved.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Refraction of light at the interface between two media of different refractive indices, with n2 > n1. Since the phase speed is lower in the second medium (v2 < v1), the angle of refraction θ2 is less than the angle of incidence θ1; that is, the ray in the higher-index medium is closer to the normal.
Ni * Sin(Ai) = Nr * Sin(Ar),
where:
Ni = the refractive index of the medium the light is leaving,
Ai = the incident angle between the light ray and the normal to the meduim to medium interface,
Nr = the refractive index of the medium the light is entering,
Ar = the refractive angle between the light ray and the normal to the meduim to medium interface.
Go for it