A ray of light goes from water into air…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A ray of light goes from water into air. Its angle in the water is . Find the angle of refraction in the air. The refractive index of water is .
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Light bends because its speed changes. Into an optically denser material it bends toward the normal; into a rarer one, away from it. Snell's law: is a constant for two materials; from air into a material of index , .
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The law. .
Step 2. The sine. .
Step 3. The angle. .
Answer: .
Check. Into a rarer material, must be larger than . It is.
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