A light ray travels from a transparent medium with refractive index 1.40 into another transparent medium with refractive index 1.80. If the angle of incidence is 35°, what is the angle of refraction? (Use sin 35° = 0.574 and arcsin(0.446) = 26.5°)
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Correct answer
A. 26.5°
Principle or equation
Snell's law: n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2, where n1 and n2 are the refractive indices of the first and second media, and θ1 and θ2 are the angles of incidence and refraction.
Why this answer is correct
Given n1 = 1.40, n2 = 1.80, θ1 = 35°. Using Snell's law: 1.40 × sin 35° = 1.80 × sin θ2 => sin θ2 = (1.40 × 0.574) / 1.80 ≈ 0.446. Thus θ2 = arcsin(0.446) ≈ 26.5°.
Example
If light goes from air (n=1) into glass (n=1.5) at 30°, the angle of refraction is about 19.5°.
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