Final answer:
Using Snell's law, which relates indices of refraction to the angles of incidence and refraction, we can identify medium X by comparing the calculated index of refraction with the known indices of given substances.
Step-by-step explanation:
A student is inquiring about the identity of medium X through which a ray of light travels, given the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction. This question pertains to the topic of refraction and Snell's law, which relates the angles of incidence and refraction to the indices of refraction of the two media.
Given that the incident angle in air is 30° and the angle of refraction in medium X is 12°, we can use Snell's law to solve for the index of refraction of medium X. We know that n₁sin(θ1) = n₂sin(θ2), where n₁ = 1 for air and θ1 and θ2 are the angles of incidence and refraction respectively. To find which medium matches the calculated index of refraction, we would compare the calculated value to known indices of refraction of alcohol, corn oil, diamond, and flint glass.