Physics Workbook - Optics Module Refraction

1 A light source is placed at the bottom of a container filled with an unknown liquid.
The light source in the unknown liquid gives off a ray that passes into air as shown
in the diagram below. What is the index of refraction of the unknown liquid?

65.0°

Air ( n= 1.00)

Unknown liquid 40.0°

Light Source

2 The index of refraction of zircon is 1.92. What is the speed of light in zircon?

3 The path of light from water to air is

shown the diagram to the right. E

Identify the following angles. D

Angle of refraction:________________ Air

F
Angle of incidence:________________ Water O C

A
B

4 A light ray travels from medium 2 (whose index of refraction is n2) to medium 1 (whose index of
refraction is n1). The index of refraction n2 of medium 2 is less than the index of refraction n1 of
medium 1 Which diagram(s) correctly represent(s) what could occur to the light ray?

A. B. C. D.
n1 n1 n1 n1
n2 n2 n2 n2
5 Light passes from air into a lucite ( n = 1.40 ) prism with parallel sides and is reflected from a
plane mirror at the other side of the prism. What is the measure of the angle between plane
mirror and the reflected ray ?

air 40°
n1 = 1.00

lucite
n2 = 1.40
?
Plane mirror

6 A physicist buys a “diamond” ring from a street vendor for $50. She knows the gem is unlikely to
be diamond and conducts an experiment to measure its angles of incidence and refraction.
The upper and lower surfaces of the gem are parallel. The angle of incidence in air is 40o and
the angle of refraction in the unknown substance is 23o. The following table shows various
indices of refraction.
Substance Quartz Flint Zircon Diamond
Glass
Index of 1.46 1.65 1.92 2.42
Refraction 40°

a) What substance is the gem made of?

b) What is the angle of refraction into the air? 23°

7 A fish located 15 m from shore can just see the top of a sign 1.5 m high located 5.0 m from the
edge of the water. The index of refraction of water is 1.33.

At what depth below the surface of the water is the fish?

8 In a laboratory, light rays are observed as they pass through different transparent mediums
with different indices of refraction. The angle of incidence entering each medium is the same.

30° 30° 30°

Medium1 Medium 2 Medium 3

n1 n2 n3

According to the diagrams above, which of the following is correct?

A) n1 > n2 > n3 C) n1 < n3 < n2

B) n1 < n2 < n3 D) n2 > n1 > n3

9 A light source in an unknown liquid gives off a ray that passes into air (as shown below).
What would be the critical angle of a ray travelling in the same direction (from the
unknown liquid into air)?

65.0°

Air ( n= 1.00)

Unknown liquid 40.0°

Light Source

10. You are standing at the edge of a swimming pool and can see an object at the bottom of the pool.
A light ray coming from the object enters your eye after forming an angle of 43° with the surface
of the water. You are 1.8 m tall and the ledge of the pool is 0.5 m above the surface of the water.
The pool is 2 m deep.

How far away from the wall is the object: a) actually b) apparently ?

43° nair = 1.00

nwater = 1.33
q
Object
11. An aquarium is filled with water (n = 1.33). A glass block (n = 1.60) is supported in the water. A ray
of light is directed towards the glass block. If the angle of refraction in the glass is 24°, what must
be the angle of incidence in the air?

AIR

WATER

GLASS

24°

12. In the laboratory, a light ray passes

through two liquids, one floating on top
Air : n = 1.0
of the other, in a beaker. The angle of
refraction in the water is 25°.
What is the value of the angle of
incidence A? Mineral oil : n = 1.46

Water : n = 1.33
25°

13. A diamond is placed in a container of water as shown in the diagram below. A light ray, from air, hits
the water with an angle of incidence of 60° before reaching the water-diamond surface.
What is the angle of refraction, R, once the light ray enters the diamond?

Incident ray 60°

Air
Water nair = 1.00

nwater = 1.33

Diamond R ndiamond= 2.42

14. A pelican is flying above sea level in search of its next snack. It sees a fish at an angle of 40° to the
horizontal, as shown below. The fish is located 1.0 m away, horizontally, from the buoy. The
height of the pelican above the water is equal to the depth of the fish.
What is the height of the pelican above sea level?

h
nair = 1.00 40°
Sea level
nwater = 1.33
h

1.0 m

Answers 1) 1.41 2) 1.56 x 108 m/s 3) EOD, AOB 4) C 5) 63o 6a) Flint Glass b) 40o
7) 14.4 m 8) D 9) 45o 10a) 3.7 m b) 4.6 m 11) 41o 12) 34o 13) 21o 14) 1.4 m