KEY
Snell’s Law
1.) What is the speed of light in a clear plastic whose index of refraction is 1.40?
. ×
Answer – = 1.40 = = 2.14 × 10
2.) The speed of light in a clear liquid is 2.3 × 10 . What is its index of refraction?
. ×
Answer – = = = 1.30
. ×
3.) A beam of light strikes the surface of a block of glass ( = 1.50) and produces a refracted angle of
10.0 . What is the incident angle?
Answer – = 1.0003 sin = 1.50 sin 10 = 15.1°
4.) What is the wavelength of light in water ( = 1.33) if its wavelength in air is 5.30 × 10%& '?
Answer – the change in optical densities of the mediums is equal to the change in wavelength that will
.
occur. So . . . the change in optical density is = 0.754 0.754 × 5.30 × 10%&
.
) = 3.986 × 10%& ' ) = 3.99 × 10%& '
5.) Monochromatic liquid (light of one color) has a wavelength of 6.0 × 10%& ' in air and 5.0 × 10%& ' in a
clear liquid. What is the index of refraction of the clear liquid?
-. × ./
Answer – = 1.2 1.2 × 1.0003 ) = 1.200 ) = 1.2
0. × ./
6.) Monochromatic light has a wavelength of 5.75 × 10%& ' in air and 4.32 × 10%& ' in a clear liquid. If a ray
of light enters this clear liquid at an angle of incidence of 25.0°, what is the angle of refraction?
0.&0× ./
Answer – = 1.3310 1.3310 × 1.0003 = 1.3314
1. × ./
= 1.0003 sin 25.0 = 1.3314 sin
= 18.512° = 18.5°
1
KEY
%& %&
7.) Monochromatic light has a wavelength of 5.20 × 10 ' in air and 3.91 × 10 ' in a clear liquid. What is
the speed of light in the clear liquid?
0. × ./
Answer – = 1.32992 1.32992 × 1.0003 = 1.3303
.2 × ./
. ×
= 1.3310 = = 2.25509 × 10 = 2.26 × 10
8.) What is the index of refraction of a substance if the angle of incidence of this substance is 53.0° and
the angle of refraction in this substance is 41.0°?
Answer – = 1.0003 sin 53 = sin 41 = 1.21768
= 1.22
9.) A ray of light strikes the surface of water ( = 1.33) at an angle of 60.0° from the water surface.
What is the angle of refraction? ***Don’t forget to measure angle from the normal***
Answer – = 1.0003 sin 30 = 1.33 sin = 22.0893°
= 22.1°
10.) What is the critical angle for an air-glass interface if the index of refraction of glass is 1.50?
Answer – = 1.50 sin = 1.0003 sin 90 = 41.8257°
= 41.8°
11.) What is the critical angle for a water-lucite interface if the index of refraction of water is 1.33 and
of Lucite is 1.51?
Answer – = 1.51 sin = 1.33 sin 90 = 61.738°
= 61.7°
12.) The critical angle for a certain liquid-air interface is 48.8°. What is the index of refraction of the
liquid?
Answer – = sin 48.8 = 1.0003 sin 90 = 1.3333
= 1.33
13.) What is the critical angle of a substance whose index of refraction is 1.81?
Answer – = 1.81 sin = 1.0003 sin 90 = 33.5491°
= 33.5°
2
KEY
14.) What is the index of refraction of a substance whose critical angle is 42.0°?
Answer – = sin 42.0 = 1.0003 sin 90 = 1.4949
= 1.50
15.) The speed of light in a clear liquid is three quarters the speed of light in air. What is the critical
angle of the liquid?
. ×
Answer – = 1.003 = 6 = 2.99910 × 10
345
789: = 0.75 × 2.99910 × 10 789: = 2.2493 × 10
.222 ×
= 1.333333
.12 ×
= 1.3333 sin = 1.0003 sin 90 = 48.6099°
= 48.6°
16.) A ray of light travels from air into water and then into glass ( = 1.50) as shown below. Find the angle
of the refraction in the glass.
air
35.0o
water
glass
Diagram is not drawn to scale
Answer – = 1.0003 sin 55.0 = 1.33 sin = 38.03105°
= 1.33 sin 38.03 = 1.50 sin = 33.11111°
= 33.1°
17.) A ray of light travels from glass ( = 1.50) into water and then into air as shown below. Find the angle
that the light leaves the water-air interface.
glass
54.8o
water
air
Diagram is not drawn to scale
Answer – = 1.50 sin 35.2 = 1.33 sin = 40.5500°
= 1.33 sin 40.55 = 1.0003 sin = 59.8130°
= 59.8°
3
KEY
18.) A ray of light strikes a side of an equilateral lucite prism ( = 1.50) at an angle of 36° as shown below.
Find the angle that the light leaves the prism. *** triangle angles are 60°***
36o
Answer – =
?
1.0003 sin 36 = 1.50 sin = 23.0774°
=
1.50 sin 36.9225 = 1.0003 sin = 64.26778° Diagram is not drawn to scale 36.9°
= 64°
19.) A ray of light strikes a side of lucite ( = 1.50) prism at 40° as shown below. Find the angle that the
light leaves the prism.
70o
Answer – = ?
o
40
1.0003 sin 50 = 1.50 sin = 30.72043°
=
Diagram is not drawn to scale
1.50 sin 39.2795 = 1.0003 sin = 71.69033°
= 72°
20.) A ray of light reflects from a mirror onto the surface of a clear liquid as shown in the diagram.
Determine the index of refraction of the liquid.
29.0°
Answer –
air
liquid 65.0°
Diagram is not drawn to scale
= 1.0003 sin 61.0 = sin 25.0
= 2.07015 = 2.07
4
KEY
21.) A ray of light travels through a clear liquid into a clear plastic as shown in the diagram. Find the index
4.0 cm
of refraction of the plastic compared to the liquid.
1
Answer – tan = = 38.6598°
5.0 cm
0
liquid
&
tan = = 74.0546°
plastic
2.0 cm
=
7.0 cm
sin 38.65 = sin 74.05 Diagram is not drawn to scale
=5 =5
= 0.649692 = 0.65
=4 =4
22.) What is the frequency of light in diamond ( = 2.42) if the frequency in air is 6.20 × 101 >??
Answer – frequency never changes due to medium change. Therefore the frequency in diamond is the
same as in air (6.20 × 101 >?)?
23.) Monochromatic light of a wavelength of 6.22 × 10 ' enters lucite ( = 1.51). What is the frequency
of the light in the Lucite? Change nm to metres. 6.22 × 10 ' × = 6.22 × 10%& '
=
. ×
Answer – = and = )@ so . . . = 1.51 = @ = 3.1941 × 101 >?
AB -.× ./ × B
@ = 3.19 × 101 >?
24.) Monochromatic light of a wavelength of 4.00 × 10%& ' enters water. What is the period of the light in
water?
.
Answer – = 0.754 0.754 × 4.00 × 10%& ) = 3.016 × 10%& '
.
. ×
= 1.33 = = 2.25564 × 10
A . -× ./
= 2.25564 × 10 = D = 1.33709 × 10%0
C C
D = 1.34 × 10%0
25.) The period of a light wave in air is 1.70 × 10%0 . What is its wavelength in water?
A A
Answer – = 3.0 × 10 = ) = 5.10 × 10%& '
C .& × .EF
.
= 0.7521 0.7521 × 5.10 × 10%& ) = 3.8357 × 10%& '
.
) = 3.84 × 10%& '
