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A tank whose bottom is a mirror is filled with water to a depth of 20.9 cm . a small fish floats motionless a distance of 6.10 cm under the surface of the water.

What is the apparent depth of the reflection of the fish in the bottom of the tank when viewed at normal incidence?

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Final answer:

The apparent depth of the reflection of the fish in the bottom of the tank when viewed at normal incidence is approximately 4.59 cm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The apparent depth of the reflection of the fish in the bottom of the tank can be calculated using Snell's law. Snell's law states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is equal to the ratio of the speeds of light in the two media. In this case, the media are water and air.

Since the fish is 6.10 cm under the surface of the water, the light rays coming from the fish will refract twice. First, when they leave the water and enter the air, and second, when they hit the bottom of the tank.

To calculate the apparent depth of the fish's reflection, we can use the following formula:

Apparent depth = Real depth / Refractive index

The refractive index of water is approximately 1.33, so the apparent depth of the fish's reflection in the bottom of the tank when viewed at normal incidence would be:

Apparent depth = 6.10 cm / 1.33 ≈ 4.59 cm

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