Incident white light in air (nair=1) encounters a a piece of plastic as shown in the figure below. The index of refraction for blue light is ng=1.36 and the index of refraction for red light is ng=1.28. After the light passes through the first boundary, the blue light undergoes total internal reflection when it encounters the plastic to air boundary from the inside at exactly the critical angle. The red light gets refracted when it encounters the plastic to air boundary from the inside. a) Draw and label a qualitative ray diagram for the light rays for the whole process. b) Find the incident angle of the white light. (you have to really think about what is incident and what is transmitted) c) Using the result from (b), find the angle the red light exits the plastic (no additional points will be taken off if your first result is incorrect). n. 'air n.

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### Optical Behavior of Light with Varying Indices of Refraction

Incident white light in air (\(n_{\text{air}}=1\)) encounters a piece of plastic as shown in the figure below. The index of refraction for blue light is \(n_B=1.36\) and the index of refraction for red light is \(n_R=1.28\).

After the light passes through the first boundary, the blue light undergoes total internal reflection when it encounters the plastic-to-air boundary from the inside at exactly the critical angle. The red light gets refracted when it encounters the plastic-to-air boundary from the inside.

#### Tasks
1. **Draw and label a qualitative ray diagram for the light rays for the whole process.**
2. **Find the incident angle of the white light.** *(You have to really think about what is incident and what is transmitted)*
3. **Using the result from (b), find the angle the red light exits the plastic** *(no additional points will be taken off if your first result is incorrect)*.

---

#### Diagram Explanation

The figure includes a rectangular block representing the plastic medium with indices of refraction for blue and red light labeled at the right side.

1. **Incident Ray**: A white light beam approaches the plastic medium at an angle from the air (\(n_{\text{air}}=1\)).
2. **Refraction and Internal Reflection**: Upon entering the plastic (\(n_B=1.36\) for blue light and \(n_R=1.28\) for red light), the light splits into its constituent colors. Blue light refracts within the medium and undergoes total internal reflection upon reaching the internal boundary at its critical angle. Red light refracts again when it exits the plastic into the air.

This setup illustrates how light interacts with materials of different refractive indices and demonstrates phenomena such as refraction and total internal reflection.

#### Calculation Approach

- **Determine the angle of incidence** for the white light using Snell's Law at each boundary.
- **Calculate the critical angle** for blue light, exploiting the fact that total internal reflection occurs, meaning the angle of incidence inside the plastic equals the critical angle.
- **Establish the exit angle of the red light** upon re-entering the air, again applying Snell's Law.

This exercise will deepen your understanding of light behavior at medium boundaries and provide practical applications of optical principles such
Transcribed Image Text:### Optical Behavior of Light with Varying Indices of Refraction Incident white light in air (\(n_{\text{air}}=1\)) encounters a piece of plastic as shown in the figure below. The index of refraction for blue light is \(n_B=1.36\) and the index of refraction for red light is \(n_R=1.28\). After the light passes through the first boundary, the blue light undergoes total internal reflection when it encounters the plastic-to-air boundary from the inside at exactly the critical angle. The red light gets refracted when it encounters the plastic-to-air boundary from the inside. #### Tasks 1. **Draw and label a qualitative ray diagram for the light rays for the whole process.** 2. **Find the incident angle of the white light.** *(You have to really think about what is incident and what is transmitted)* 3. **Using the result from (b), find the angle the red light exits the plastic** *(no additional points will be taken off if your first result is incorrect)*. --- #### Diagram Explanation The figure includes a rectangular block representing the plastic medium with indices of refraction for blue and red light labeled at the right side. 1. **Incident Ray**: A white light beam approaches the plastic medium at an angle from the air (\(n_{\text{air}}=1\)). 2. **Refraction and Internal Reflection**: Upon entering the plastic (\(n_B=1.36\) for blue light and \(n_R=1.28\) for red light), the light splits into its constituent colors. Blue light refracts within the medium and undergoes total internal reflection upon reaching the internal boundary at its critical angle. Red light refracts again when it exits the plastic into the air. This setup illustrates how light interacts with materials of different refractive indices and demonstrates phenomena such as refraction and total internal reflection. #### Calculation Approach - **Determine the angle of incidence** for the white light using Snell's Law at each boundary. - **Calculate the critical angle** for blue light, exploiting the fact that total internal reflection occurs, meaning the angle of incidence inside the plastic equals the critical angle. - **Establish the exit angle of the red light** upon re-entering the air, again applying Snell's Law. This exercise will deepen your understanding of light behavior at medium boundaries and provide practical applications of optical principles such
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