Final answer:
The angle of refraction can be calculated using Snell's law, which relates the index of refraction of the medium to the incident and refracted angles. In this case, the angle of refraction in water can be determined using an angle of incidence of 45° and an index of refraction of 1.33 for water. The angle of refraction is approximately 44.6°.
Step-by-step explanation:
When light travels from one medium to another, it undergoes refraction, which is the bending of light as it passes through different substances. The angle of incidence is the angle between the incident ray and the normal to the surface, and the angle of refraction is the angle between the refracted ray and the normal to the surface. According to Snell's law, the angle of refraction can be calculated using the formula:
sin(angle of refraction) = (index of refraction of medium 1) * sin(angle of incidence) / (index of refraction of medium 2)
In this case, the light beam enters the water, which has an index of refraction of 1.33. The angle of incidence is given as 45°. To calculate the angle of refraction, we can substitute the values into the formula:
sin(angle of refraction) = (1.00) * sin(45°) / (1.33)
Using a calculator, we find that sin(angle of refraction) = 0.706, which gives us an angle of refraction of approximately 44.6°. Therefore, the answer is a. 44.6°.