Active Physics 3 Follow-up Examples
Refraction of Light
Follow-up Examples (Ch.18)
Refraction of Light
Example 18.3* (p.208)
The speed of light in medium X is 1.8 × 108 m s−1.
(a) Find the refractive index of X.
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(b) In another medium Y, the speed of light is slower than that in X. Which
medium has a higher refractive index?
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Example 18.4* (p.209)
Given that media A and B have a refractive index of 1.42 and 2.65 respectively.
(a) (i) In which medium does light travel faster?
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(ii) In which medium does the refracted ray bend more towards the
normal?
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(b) Calculate the angle of refraction in each medium.
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Active Physics 3 Follow-up Examples
Refraction of Light
Example 18.5* (p.211)
In an experiment finding the relation between the angle of incidence θ1 and the
angle of refraction θ2, a student obtains the following results for glass.
θ1 0° 10° 20° 30° 40°
θ2 0° 6° 14° 21° 27°
(a) Plot a graph of sin θ1 against sin θ2 and draw the best fit line.
sin θ1
sin θ2
(b) What is the refractive index of the glass?
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(c) The student wants to take more measurements for better results. Should he
take smaller or larger angles for the data?
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Active Physics 3 Follow-up Examples
Refraction of Light
Example 18.6* (p.212)
A light ray passes through a rectangular block of width 15 cm. The refractive
index of the glass is 1.50.
(a) α is measured to be 32°. What is β and γ?
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(b) (i) What is the distance travelled by the ray in path AB?
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(ii) Hence, find the lateral displacement d of the light ray.
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(c) For another block where the light ray passes with a smaller lateral
displacement change, is the refractive index larger or smaller?
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Active Physics 3 Follow-up Examples
Refraction of Light
Example 18.7* (p.213)
Three media X, Y and Z form two parallel boundaries. The refractive index of X
is 1.52. A light ray is incident on the boundary between X and Y with an angle
of incidence θX = 40°. It travels into Z as shown.
(a) If θZ = 72°, what is the refractive index of medium Z?
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(b) How will the angle of refraction in medium Z change if
(i) the length of medium Y is shortened?
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(ii) the medium Y is changed to another medium Q with a larger
refractive index?
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Active Physics 3 Follow-up Examples
Refraction of Light
Example 18.8* (p.217)
Is the critical angle greater in water or glass? The refractive index of water and
glass are 1.33 and 1.52 respectively.
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Example 18.9* (p.219)
A light ray is incident on side AB of a rectangular transparent block with a
refractive index of 1.34. The angle of incidence is 60°.
(a) (i) Find the angle of incidence on the side BC.
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(ii) Can the ray leave the block from side BC?
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(b) What is the largest angle of incidence such that the ray does not leave the
block from the side BC?
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Active Physics 3 Follow-up Examples
Refraction of Light
Example 18.10* (p.221)
A light ray is incident on a 45°–90°–45° glass prism at P with an angle of
incidence as shown. The ray emerges along the bottom of the prism. The
refractive index of the prism is 1.74.
(a) What is the critical angle of the glass?
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(b) For the side AB, find the angle of refraction r and the angle of incidence i.
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Active Physics 3 Follow-up Examples
Refraction of Light
Example 18.11* (p.224)
A diver is under the water. When he looks upwards, he sees the whole sky
compressed into a circle, with a radius of 12 m. The refractive index of water is
1.33.
(a) At what water depth is the diver?
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(b) If he floats upwards now, what will happen to the radius of the circle he
sees?
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Active Physics 3 Follow-up Examples
Refraction of Light
Example 18.12* (p.225)
A light ray enters the core of a straight optical fibre from air at position P as
shown. It is then totally reflected at position Q. The core and the cladding have
refractive indices of 1.48 and 1.40, respectively.
(a) If θQ is at critical angle, what is the angle of incidence at P?
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(b) The fibre is 1.5 km long. Find the longest time to travel from one end to the
other.
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Active Physics 3 Plug and Chug
Use of Snell’s Law
Plug and Chug (Ch.18)
Use of Snell’s Law
In this worksheet, you have to identify useful data and choose the right formula. Some of the
questions may include redundant data. Q1 to Q4 are very straight-forward questions. Q5 to Q7
are basic questions that require a bit more arithmetic.
Formulas
(1) refractive index of air = 1
(2) refractive index of the incident medium
× sin (angle of incidence)
= refractive index of the emergent medium
× sin (angle of refraction)
(3)
(4) refractive index of optically denser medium
× sin (critical angle)
= refractive index of optically less dense medium
Physical quantities and units
Physical quantity Unit
n refractive index nil
c light speed in a vacuum m s–1 (metre per second)
v light speed in the medium m s–1 (metre per second)
θ1 angle of incidence ° (degree)
θ2 angle of refraction ° (degree)
θC critical angle ° (degree)
Reminder:
Take the light speed in a vacuum c = 3 × 108 m s–1.
Unless otherwise specified, critical angles are relative to air/vacuum.
© Pearson Hong Kong 2015 1
Active Physics 3 Plug and Chug
Use of Snell’s Law
1. A ray of light is directed from air into an ice block as
shown.
(a) Find the refractive index of ice.
Given: n1 = , θ1 = , θ2 =
Unknown: (unit: )
Equation:
Solve:
(b) Find the speed of light in ice.
Given: n = , c=
Unknown: (unit: ) Equation:
Solve:
2. The critical angle of amber is 40.2°.
(a) Find the refractive index of amber.
Given:
Unknown: (unit: ) Equation:
Solve:
(b) Find the speed of light in amber.
Given:
Unknown: (unit: ) Equation:
Solve:
© Pearson Hong Kong 2015 2
Active Physics 3 Plug and Chug
Use of Snell’s Law
3. A beam of light is incident from kerosene to air as
shown. The refractive index of kerosene is 1.39.
(a) Find the angle of refraction.
(b) Find the critical angle of kerosene.
4. Light travels at a speed of 1.7 × 108 m s−1 in an unknown medium X.
(a) Find the refractive index of medium X.
(b) Find the critical angle of medium X.
(c) A light ray travels from glass to medium X as
shown. If the refractive index of glass is 1.50
and the angle of incidence is 45°. Find the angle
of refraction.
© Pearson Hong Kong 2015 3
Active Physics 3 Plug and Chug
Use of Snell’s Law
5. A ray of light enters water from Perspex as shown.
The angle of refraction is 30°. If the refractive index
of water is 1.33 and that of Perspex is 1.50, find the
angle of incidence.
6. As shown, a light ray is incident on the diamond–
oil boundary with an angle of 56° to the boundary.
The angle of refraction is 67°. If the refractive index
of diamond is 2.42, find the refractive index of the
oil.
7. When light travels from air to a medium with an angle of incidence 30°, the
angle of refraction is 15°. What is the angle of refraction if the angle of
incidence is increased to 60°?
© Pearson Hong Kong 2015 4
Active Physics 3 Review Questions in Context
Refraction of Light
Review Questions in Context (Ch.18)
Refraction of Light
A diver (D) dives underwater and sees a beam of light from a lighthouse (L)
when he looks at point P. It is given that the speed of light in vacuum equals
c = 3 × 108 m s−1 and the refractive index of water equals n = 1.33.
1. (a) On the above figure, draw a ray to show how the diver sees the light
from the lighthouse. Label the angle of incidence as i and the angle of
refraction as r.
(b) In which medium, air or water, does the light travel faster?
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(c) Find v, the speed of light in water.
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(d) What is the refractive index of air? Is it bigger or smaller than 1.33?
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(e) Find the angle of refraction r if the angle of incidence i equals 50°.
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2. A girl stands at the top of the lighthouse at L.
(a) Can she see the diver when she looks at P? If yes, does the diver’s
position appear to be shallower than it actually is?
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(b) In reverse, when the diver looks at P, does the girl’s position appear to
be lower than it actually is?
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© Pearson Hong Kong 2015 1
Active Physics 3 Review Questions in Context
Refraction of Light
3. The diver directs a laser beam towards the water surface at an incident
angle of 50°.
(a) Find the critical angle for the boundary between water and air by
using Snell’s law.
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(b) Which of the following ray diagrams best shows the path of the beam?
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A. B. C.
(c) Which medium, air or water, is optically denser than the other one?
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(d) Is it possible for the light coming from the lighthouse to undergo total
internal reflection when it travels from air to water?
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4. The following table shows the refractive indices of different media.
medium air seawater cornea* glass diamond
refractive index 1.00 1.34 1.40 1.50 2.42
* cornea = 眼角膜
(a) Which medium, seawater or glass, has a greater refractive index?
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(b) Which medium, seawater or glass, is optically denser than the other
one?
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(c) A light ray strikes a seawater–glass boundary. Is it possible for the
light ray to undergo total internal reflection when it is directed
(i) from seawater to glass?
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(ii) from glass to seawater?
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© Pearson Hong Kong 2015 2
