A comer reflector is placed on the bottom of a lake. Light is shined from a boat at an angle of 35° to the surface of the water, strikes the comer reflector, and passes through the water and back into the air. At what angle to the surface does the light leave the water? Note: It is a property of a comer reflector that it reflects light back along a path that is parallel to its original path. Round-off your final answer in two decimal places. No unit required.
To solve this problem, we'll make use of the law of reflection, which states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Let's break down the problem step by step:
1. The light is shined from the boat at an angle of 35° to the surface of the water. This angle is measured with respect to a line perpendicular to the surface. We'll call it the angle of incidence.
2. The light strikes the comer reflector, which is placed at the bottom of the lake. Since it's a comer reflector, it reflects the light back along a path parallel to its original path.
3. The reflected light now passes through the water and back into the air. We want to find the angle at which it leaves the water. We'll call it the angle of refraction.
To solve for the angle of refraction, we can use the fact that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection. So, the angle of incidence is 35°.
Now, let's use the law of reflection to find the angle of refraction:
1. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, so the angle of reflection is also 35°.
2. Since the light reflects back along a path parallel to its original path, the angle of refraction is equal to the angle of reflection, which is 35°.
Therefore, the light leaves the water at an angle of 35° to the surface.
So, to answer the question, the angle at which the light leaves the water is 35°.