Question

Question 12

A beam of light strikes the flat, glass side of water- filled aquarium at an angle of 40° to the
normal. For glass, n=1.5, for air n=1.0, and for water n= 1.31.
a) At what angle does the beam enter the glass? (3 Marks)
b) At what angle does the beam enter the water? (3 Marks)

Answer 1

To find the angles of incidence and refraction, we can use Snell's Law and the refractive indices of the materials involved. The angle of incidence in the glass is approximately 41.81°, while the angle of refraction in water is about 59.10°.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the angles at which the light beam enters the glass and water, we can use Snell's Law, which relates the angles of incidence and refraction to the refractive indices of the materials involved.

For the light entering the glass, the angle of incidence can be found using the formula: sin(angle of incidence) = (refractive index of air) / (refractive index of glass). Plugging in the values (n_air = 1.0 and n_glass = 1.5), we get sin(angle of incidence) = 1/1.5. Taking the inverse sine of this value, we find that the angle of incidence is approximately 41.81°.

Using Snell's Law again, the angle of refraction in water can be found by the formula: sin(angle of refraction in water) = (refractive index of glass) / (refractive index of water). Substituting the values (n_glass = 1.5 and n_water = 1.31), we have sin(angle of refraction in water) = 1.5/1.31. Taking the inverse sine, we find that the angle of refraction in water is approximately 59.10°.

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