Final answer:
The question addresses light refraction and total internal reflection in a glass prism, asking to calculate the critical angle for total internal reflection inside the prism, both in air and when immersed in water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is concerned with the phenomenon of light refraction and total internal reflection in a glass prism with a given index of refraction. Specifically, it mentions light rays falling normally (perpendicularly) on the vertical surface of this prism. When light enters a prism with an index of refraction of 1.59 and strikes the slanted face, there is a particular angle at which the light will be totally internally reflected, rather than refracted out of the prism.
To find the largest value of this angle, one would apply Snell's Law and the condition for total internal reflection, which occurs when the angle of incidence within the prism reaches the critical angle. The question part (b) then modifies the scenario by immersing the prism in water, which affects the critical angle due to the change in the surrounding medium's refractive index.