Question

A beam of light passes through a liquid into air. Angle 1, angle of

incidence, is 23°. The angle 2, angle of refraction is 38°. Refractive
index for air is 1.00. Calculate the refractive index of the liquid
medium.

Answer 1

Answer: 1.57

Step-by-step explanation:

This described situation is known as Refraction, a phenomenon in which light bends or changes its direction when passing through a medium with a index of refraction different from the other medium.

In this context, the index of refraction is a number that describes how fast light propagates through a medium or material.

According to Snell’s Law:

`n_(1)sin(\theta_(1))=n_(2)sin(\theta_(2))` (1)

Where:

`n_(1)` is the first medium index of refraction (the value we want to know)

`n_(2)=1` is the second medium index of refraction (air)

`\theta_(1)=23\°` is the angle of incidence

`\theta_(2)=38\°` is the angle of refraction

Now, let's find
`n_(1)` from (1):

`n_(1)=n_(2)(sin \theta_(2))/(sin \theta_(1))` (2)

Substituting the known values:

`n_(1)=1(sin(38\°))/(sin(23\°))`

Finally:

`n_(1)=1.57`