Question

A ray of light impinges on a surface of olive oil. Calculate the light speed in the oil for these data: wavelength =700 nm; angle of incidence =35.8 degrees; angle of refraction =21.3 degrees;

Answer 1

The speed of light in olive oil is 2.91x10^8 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the speed of light in the oil, we can use Snell's law, which relates the angles of incidence and refraction and the indices of refraction of the two mediums involved.

The formula for Snell's law is:

sin(angle of incidence)/sin(angle of refraction) = speed of light in vacuum/speed of light in oil

By rearranging the formula, we can solve for the speed of light in oil:

speed of light in oil = speed of light in vacuum * (sin(angle of incidence)/sin(angle of refraction))

Substituting the given values:

speed of light in oil = 3x10^8 m/s * (sin(35.8 degrees)/sin(21.3 degrees)) = 2.91x10^8 m/s