Question

Suppose you wanted to make the smaller glass disappear, that is, make it appear to be invisible. How would the index of retion of the liquid inside have to compare to the index of retion of the glass? Explain your reasoning.

a) The index of retion of the liquid should be greater than that of the glass.
b) The index of retion of the liquid should be less than that of the glass.
c) The indices of retion should be equal.
d) It is not possible to make the glass disappear.

Answer 1

To make the smaller glass appear invisible, the index of refraction of the liquid inside should be equal to or greater than the index of refraction of the glass.

Step-by-step explanation:

To make the smaller glass appear to be invisible, the index of refraction of the liquid inside would have to be equal to or greater than the index of refraction of the glass. When light passes from one medium to another, it bends or refracts. This bending depends on the difference in the indices of refraction between the two media.

If the index of refraction of the liquid is greater than or equal to that of the glass, there would be no significant bending of light at the interface between the two, causing the smaller glass to appear invisible.

So, the correct answer is c) The indices of refraction should be equal.