What Happens to the Refraction Angle as the Incident Angle Nears 90 Degrees?

[ohlhauc1]

I have a question concerning this question:

Predict what will happen as the incident angle approaches 90 degress, and develop a method to test the prediction.

I say the refraction angle would also be 90 degrees (remaining a horizontal line), so my method would be to align the laser I'm using to the 90 degree mark and shine it so that just enough of it passes through the medium.

Is that correct and if not, any suggestions?

 

[ohlhauc1]

I would also put a barrier to help align the laser.

 

[kyle8921]

Your prediction is correct. As the incident angle approaches 90 degrees, the refraction angle will also approach 90 degrees. This is because at this angle, the light is entering the medium almost parallel to the surface, causing it to barely bend. To test this prediction, you could use a laser and a protractor to measure the incident and refracted angles as you gradually increase the incident angle towards 90 degrees. You could also use a transparent medium, such as a glass block, and observe how the laser beam behaves as the incident angle approaches 90 degrees. These methods would allow you to confirm Snell's Law and the relationship between incident and refracted angles.