Question

(TIMED) Sally Diamond observes that light striking a sheet of material at 26.7 degree angle to the surface is bent to an angle of 36 degrees relative to the normal as it passes through the material. Through what material is the light passing?

Pyrex
Ruby
Water
Crown glass

Answer 1

Crown glass

Step-by-step explanation:

We can use Snell's Law to determine the material through which the light is passing.

Snell's Law states that n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2, where n1 and n2 are the indices of refraction of the two materials, θ1 is the angle of incidence, and θ2 is the angle of refraction.

In this case, we know that the angle of incidence is 26.7 degrees, and the angle of refraction is 36 degrees. We also know that air has an index of refraction of approximately 1.

Using Snell's Law, we can solve for the index of refraction of the material:

1 sin 26.7 = n2 sin 36

n2 = (1 sin 26.7) / (sin 36)

n2 ≈ 1.52

The index of refraction of the material is approximately 1.52. This corresponds to the index of refraction of crown glass, which is a common optical material used in lenses and prisms. Therefore, the light is most likely passing through crown glass.