Final answer:
The critical angle for glass with a refractive index of 1.45 can be calculated using Snell's law resulting in an approximate angle of 43.6°.
Step-by-step explanation:
The critical angle for glass when the refractive index is 1.45 can be found using Snell's law which states that n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2), where n1 is the refractive index of the first medium (glass in this case), n2 is the refractive index of the second medium (typically air), and θ1 and θ2 are the angles of incidence and refraction, respectively. For the critical angle, the angle of refraction (θ2) is 90 degrees since the light ray barely escapes the medium boundary. Hence, using the refractive index of air (1.0003), the calculation for θ1, which is the critical angle, can be done through the use of the inverse sine function: sin^(-1)(n2/n1). Inserting the refractive indices, we have sin^(-1)(1.0003/1.45). Calculating this yields a critical angle of approximately 43.6°. This critical angle has practical applications such as in fiber optics and various other optical devices where controlling the path of light is essential.