Snell's Law Question: Fish in a Fish Tank

In summary, the question is asking for the actual distance between a fish in an aquarium and a can of fish food on a counter, ignoring the glass wall of the aquarium. The formula for apparent depth is s'=(n2/n1)s, and the attempted solution involved setting n2=1.33 and n1=1.00, resulting in an incorrect answer of 65.2 cm. The correct solution switched the indices of refraction, setting n2=1.00 and n1=1.33, resulting in a correct answer of 36.8 cm.
  • #1
JamesEarl
9
0

Homework Statement



A fish in a flat-sided aquarium sees a can of fish food on the counter. To the fish's eye, the can looks to be 49 cm outside the aquarium. What is the actual distance between the can and the aquarium? (You can ignore the thin glass wall of the aquarium.)

Homework Equations



s'=(n2/n1)s

The Attempt at a Solution



So at first I set n2=1.33 (the refraction index of water) and n1=1.00 (the refraction index of air). s= 49 cm. The answer of 65.2 that I got was wrong. I'm thinking maybe I have to switch up the variables, since it is from the perspective of the fish. Would it make sense to set n2= 1.00 and n2= 1.33? Would (49/1.33)=36.8 be the right answer? I have one more attempt and I don't want to risk it unless I'm 100% positive.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Yes, it makes sense to switch indices of refraction in the formula for the apparent depth as seen from the rarer medium.
 

1. What is Snell's Law?

Snell's Law is a fundamental law in optics that describes the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction for a ray of light passing through a boundary between two different transparent materials.

2. How does Snell's Law apply to fish in a fish tank?

Snell's Law can also be applied to objects, such as fish, in a fish tank. When light travels from the air into water, it changes speed and direction, causing the fish to appear closer to the surface than they actually are.

3. Why do fish appear closer to the surface in a fish tank?

This is due to the refraction of light as it passes through the surface of the water. The change in speed and direction of the light causes the fish to appear closer to the surface than they actually are.

4. How does Snell's Law affect our perception of fish in a fish tank?

Snell's Law affects our perception of fish in a fish tank by making them appear larger than they actually are. This is because the light rays are bent as they pass through the water, causing an optical illusion.

5. Can Snell's Law be used to determine the position of fish in a fish tank?

Yes, Snell's Law can be used to determine the position of fish in a fish tank. By understanding how light is bent as it passes through the water, we can calculate the actual position of the fish based on their apparent position.

Similar threads

Lens with different refraction index on each side
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
1K
Solve Snell's Law: Glass Cube Refractive Index = 1.77
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
4K
Diffraction grating problem involving Snell's Law
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
5K
Optics: refraction and reflection
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
920
Find Angle of Reflection for Snell's Law Q w/ GaP Index
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
Light wave Interference - Angler Fish Problem
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
4K
Calculate the focal distance of the duplicate
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
802
Snell's law question with a twist....
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
2K
Critical angle: find the depth of the fish looking up
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
Prove n1<N<n2 for effective index N....
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top