Quartz has a refractive index of 1.54. If light from a HeNe laser impinges on an air/quartz interface at an angle of 22.5 degrees, what is the angle of refraction?
sinAngle =sin22.5 * 1/1.54
To find the angle of refraction, we can use Snell's law, which states that the ratio of the angles of incidence and refraction is equal to the ratio of the velocities of light in the two mediums. The equation for Snell's law is:
n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2)
Where:
- n1 is the refractive index of the first medium (air in this case)
- θ1 is the angle of incidence
- n2 is the refractive index of the second medium (quartz in this case)
- θ2 is the angle of refraction
We are given n1 (for air) which is approximately 1 and n2 (for quartz) which is 1.54. We are also given θ1 (angle of incidence) which is 22.5 degrees. Therefore, we can rearrange the equation to solve for θ2:
sin(θ2) = (n1 / n2) * sin(θ1)
Plugging in the values:
sin(θ2) = (1 / 1.54) * sin(22.5)
Now we can find θ2 by taking the inverse sine (sin^(-1)) of both sides of the equation:
θ2 = sin^(-1) [(1 / 1.54) * sin(22.5)]
Using a scientific calculator or math software, we can calculate:
θ2 ≈ 14.86 degrees
Therefore, the angle of refraction is approximately 14.86 degrees.