Sunlight strikes the surface of a lake at an angle of incidence of 44.5°. At what angle with respect to the normal would a fish see the Sun?
Sunlight strikes the surface of a lake at an angle of incidence of 30.0°. At what angle with respect to the normal would a fish see the Sun?
To find the angle at which the fish sees the Sun, we need to consider the concept of reflection. When light strikes a surface, it follows the law of reflection, which states that the angle of incidence (i) is equal to the angle of reflection (r), both measured with respect to the normal (a line perpendicular to the surface).
In this case, the angle of incidence of sunlight is given as 44.5°. Since the angle of reflection is equal, the angle with respect to the normal can be found by subtracting the angle of incidence from 90° (since it is the difference between the angle of incidence and the perpendicular angle):
Angle with respect to the normal = 90° - Angle of incidence
Angle with respect to the normal = 90° - 44.5°
Angle with respect to the normal = 45.5°
Therefore, the fish would see the Sun at an angle of approximately 45.5° with respect to the normal.