A ray of light travelling in air strike the water surface at an angle of 40° calculate the refractive index of water if angle of refraction is 29°
To calculate the refractive index of water, we can use Snell's law, which states:
n1 * sin(theta1) = n2 * sin(theta2)
where:
n1 = refractive index of the medium the light is coming from (air in this case)
theta1 = angle of incidence
n2 = refractive index of the medium the light is entering (water in this case)
theta2 = angle of refraction
Given:
angle of incidence (theta1) = 40°
angle of refraction (theta2) = 29°
We need to rearrange the equation to solve for n2:
n2 = (n1 * sin(theta1)) / sin(theta2)
Since the light is traveling from air to water, we know that the refractive index of air is approximately 1.
Substituting the given values into the equation:
n2 = (1 * sin(40°)) / sin(29°)
Using a calculator for sine functions:
n2 = (0.6428) / (0.4848)
n2 ≈ 1.3265
Therefore, the refractive index of water is approximately 1.3265.
To calculate the refractive index of water, we can use Snell's law. Snell's law states:
n1 * sin(angle of incidence) = n2 * sin(angle of refraction)
In this case, the incident medium is air (n1 = 1) and the refractive medium is water. Let's denote the refractive index of water as n2.
We are given the angle of incidence (40°) and the angle of refraction (29°).
Now, let's plug these values into Snell's law:
1 * sin(40°) = n2 * sin(29°)
To find the refractive index of water (n2), we rearrange the equation:
n2 = (1 * sin(40°)) / sin(29°)
Using a calculator, we can find:
n2 ≈ 1.333
Therefore, the refractive index of water is approximately 1.333.