Concept explainers
(a) To determine:
The material which has the largest index of refraction, if a ray of light is refracted through three different materials
Answer to Problem 14Q
Solution:
When a light ray bends towards normal after refraction, then it has moved from a lower refractive index medium to a higher refractive index medium. When light ray bends away from the normal after refraction, it has moved from a higher refractive index medium to a lower refractive index medium.
The largest refractive indices of materials 1, 2, 3 are in the order of material 2 > material 1 > material 3
Explanation of Solution
Given:
A ray of light is refracted through three different materials
Formula used:
The Snell’s law describes that, when the light passes from one transparent medium into another with a different index of refraction, it bents and is given by
Where,
the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction;
are the respective indices of refraction in the materials.
Calculation:
Snell’s law shows that if then .
Thus, if light enters a medium where n is greater (and its speed is less), the ray is bent towards the normal. And if then , so the ray bends away from the normal.
The light bent towards the normal in the material 2 with respect to 1 and it bent away from the normal with respect to 2.
Analyzing the given specimen, the light bent towards the normal is greater in material 2 than material 1. And, in the material 3, the light bents away from the normal. Hence, material 3 has the least refractive index and material 2 has the largest index than the material 2. Hence, the materials are listed in the order of the largest refractive indices as material 2 > material 1 > material 3.
(b) To determine:
The material which has the smallest index of refraction if a ray of light is refracted through three different materials
Answer to Problem 14Q
Solution:
The materials are listed in the order of the smallest refractive indices as material 3 < material 1 < material 2
Explanation of Solution
A ray of light is refracted through three different materials.
When a light ray bends towards normal after refraction, then it has moved from a lower refractive index medium to a higher refractive index medium. When light ray bends away from the normal after refraction, it has moved from a higher refractive index medium to a lower refractive index medium.
Analyzing the given specimen, the light bent towards the normal is greater in material 2 than material 1. And, in the material 3, the light bents away from the normal. Hence, material 3 has the least refractive index and material 2 has the largest index than the material 2. Hence, the materials are listed in the order of the smallest refractive indices as material 3 < material 1 < material 2
Chapter 23 Solutions
Physics: Principles with Applications
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