126k views
1 vote
A beam of light passes from air (n=1.0) into water (n = 1.33). If the angle of incidence is 77º, what is the

angle of refraction in the water?
A 33.36°
B 47.11°
C 0.97⁰
D 0.55⁰

User Dmnlk
by
7.4k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:

The correct answer is option B: 47.11°.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the angle of refraction when light passes from air to water, we can use Snell's law, which states:

n₁ * sin(θ₁) = n₂ * sin(θ₂)

where:

n₁ = refractive index of the medium of incidence (in this case, air) = 1.0

n₂ = refractive index of the medium of refraction (in this case, water) = 1.33

θ₁ = angle of incidence

θ₂ = angle of refraction (what we want to find)

Given:

θ₁ = 77º

Let's plug in the values into Snell's law and solve for θ₂:

1.0 * sin(77º) = 1.33 * sin(θ₂)

sin(77º) = (1.33 * sin(θ₂)) / 1.0

Now, isolate sin(θ₂) by multiplying both sides by 1.0:

sin(77º) * 1.0 = 1.33 * sin(θ₂)

sin(θ₂) = (sin(77º) * 1.0) / 1.33

Now, take the inverse sine (arcsin) of both sides to find θ₂:

θ₂ = arcsin((sin(77º) * 1.0) / 1.33)

Calculating the value:

θ₂ ≈ 47.11º

Therefore, the angle of refraction in the water when the angle of incidence is 77º is approximately 47.11º.

User Wgp
by
7.8k points