Is Light Reflected or Refracted?

1.When light propagates from a material with a given index of refraction into a material with a smaller index of refraction, the speed of light: a)DECRESES b)increses c)remains constant?


2.What is the minimum value that the index of refraction can have 0, +1,-1 between 0 and 1?


3.Now consider a ray of light that propagates from water (n=1.33) to air (n=1). If the incident ray strikes the water-air interface at an angle angle 1 equals / 0, which of the following relations regarding the angle of refraction, angle2, is correct?


4. A ray of light that propagates from air (n=1) to any one of the materials listed below. Assuming that the ray strikes the interface with any of the listed materials always at the same angle , in which material will the direction of propagation of the ray change the most due to refraction?


a) ice (n=1.309)


b)water (n=1.333)


c)turpentine (n=1.472)


d)glass (m=1.523)


e)diamond (n=2.417)

Is Light Reflected or Refracted?
1. The speed of light increases when it moves from denser to rarer medium because speed of light is inversly proportional to the refractive index.


2. The minimum recorded value between 0 and 1, is 1 and that is for vacuum. All others have refractive index greater than 1. Less than 1, means light moves at a speed greater than 3 * 10^8 in that medium. (till date not possible)


3. If incident angle is 0 then refracted angle is also 0. The ray will move normal to the surface.


4. The most deviation towards the normal will be in the medium having the larger refractive index. It can be realised using snell's law n1 sin(i) = n2 sin(r).


Thus the answer should be diamond.
Reply:Refracted.

garden flowers