Prism - emergent angle anomaly

In summary, the problem is to find the angle at which an emergent ray of monochromatic yellow light, incident on an equilateral triangular glass prism at 60 degrees, emerges from the prism. The given answer is 60 degrees, but it appears impossible to achieve with the given data. The solution involves using Snell's law and the angle of refraction, but the inner sin function gives a value greater than 1, indicating a problem with the data. Further analysis is needed, including drawing a ray diagram and considering the angle of incidence of the total internal reflected ray on the prism face.
  • #1
jemerlia
28
0

Homework Statement



A ray of monochromatic yellow light is incident in air on an
equilateral triangular glass prism. This ray is in the same plane as
the equilateral triangular cross section of the prism; the angle
between the ray and the prism face is 60°, and the refractive index
of the glass is 1.54 for this light.

Find the angle the emergent ray makes with the prism face at
which it emerges. Illustrate your answer with a diagram.

The given answer is 60 degrees. The problem appears straightforward but it appears impossible to get the required result with the given data. Please check my solution and comment...

Homework Equations


Snells law: n1*sin theta1 = n2 sin theta 2



The Attempt at a Solution



For angle of refraction of the incident light - from air into the prism:

sin r = sin 30/1.54, r = 18.94 degrees

The angle of incidence upon striking the internal glass surface = 60-18.94

Therefore the angle of refraction - from glass back into the air:

= asin(1.54 * sin(60-18.94))

The difficulty is that the inner sin function gives a value > 1

Have I done something wrong?
 
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  • #2
60-18.94 = 41.06 is greater then the critical angle. Now draw the ray diagram and find the angle of incidence of the total internal reflected ray on the prism face.
 
  • #3
Quite so... many thanks for your help!
 

1. What is a prism?

A prism is a transparent object with flat, polished surfaces that refracts light, causing it to separate into its component colors.

2. What is an emergent angle?

The emergent angle is the angle at which light exits the prism after being refracted. It is measured between the refracted ray and the normal, or perpendicular, to the surface of the prism.

3. What is an angle anomaly?

An angle anomaly occurs when the emergent angle of light passing through a prism is not equal to the angle of incidence, which is the angle at which the light enters the prism.

4. Why does the emergent angle differ from the angle of incidence in a prism?

This is due to the phenomenon of refraction, where the speed of light changes as it passes through different mediums. In a prism, the light is passing through a different medium (from air to glass and back to air) and therefore, the angle of refraction is different from the angle of incidence.

5. How does the shape of a prism affect the emergent angle anomaly?

The shape of a prism can affect the emergent angle anomaly by changing the path of the light as it passes through the prism. For example, a thicker prism will cause more refraction and a larger emergent angle, while a thinner prism will cause less refraction and a smaller emergent angle.

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