Question

An incident ray strikes a boundary at a 72.5-degree angle, resulting in an angle of refraction of 39.6 degrees. The index of refraction of the first medium is 1.0003.

What is medium 1?


What is medium 2?

Answer 1

Medium 1: Air
Medium 2: Lucite

Answer 2

medium 1 = air

medium 2 = Lucite

Step-by-step explanation:

Part a)

here the refractive index of first medium is 1.0003

so from the given table this is the refractive index of air

so medium 1 is AIR

Part b)

As per law of refraction we know that

`n_1sin\theta_1 = n_2 sin\theta_2`

here we know that

`n_1 = 1.0003`

`\theta_1 = 72.5`

`\theta_2 = 39.6`

now from Snell's law we will have

`1.0003 sin(72.5) = n_2 sin39.6`

so we have

`n_2 = (1.0003(sin72.5))/(sin39.6)`

so we have

`n_2 = 1.50`

so medium 2 is LUCITE