Angle of Refraction Given Wavelength & Speed of Light in Air & Glass

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves the refraction of light as it passes from air into glass, specifically focusing on calculating the angle of refraction given the wavelength of light and the speed of light in both media. The subject area pertains to optics and the application of Snell's Law.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply Snell's Law to find the angle of refraction but expresses confusion regarding their calculations and the setup. Some participants question whether the calculator is set to the correct mode (degrees vs. radians) and seek clarification on the calculations performed so far.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing guidance on checking calculator settings and encouraging the original poster to share their progress. There is an exploration of the setup and calculations without reaching a consensus or resolution yet.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating the implications of using degrees versus radians in their calculations, which may affect the results. The original poster has mentioned a specific answer from a practice problem, indicating a reference point for comparison.

Oneablegal
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Homework Statement



Light of wavelength 600 nm in air enters a piece of glass. The speed of light in this glass is 0.650 times the speed in air. Calculate the angle of refraction, Given that the angle of incidence of this light ray is 40°.

Homework Equations


Snell's Law
Sin(θ1)/sin(θ2) = v1/v2


The Attempt at a Solution



I calculated the wavelength to be 390 nm. (600nm x 0.65). I know the Speed of light in glass is less than an air so light is going to slow down and bend towards the normal, therefore the angle of refraction will be less then the incident 40°. I know the practice problem answer is 24.7 degrees. I need help bridging the gap, so to understand this problem. Please help! Thank you in advance.
 
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Hi Oneablegal! :smile:

First … did you set your calculator to degrees (not radians)? :wink:

(If so, please show how far you've got.)
 
tiny-tim said:
Hi Oneablegal! :smile:

First … did you set your calculator to degrees (not radians)? :wink:

(If so, please show how far you've got.)
Hi! Yes, the calculator is set to degrees. This is as far as I have gotten. I have tried to set this up numerous times, with angle 1 set equal to sin(40) or 0.745113. Angle 2 or the angle of refraction is unknown. V1 I have as 1.00 and V2 as 0.65. I am lost from here...

Thanks again!
 
Last edited:
Hi Oneablegal! :smile:

(just got up :zzz:)
Oneablegal said:
Hi! Yes, the calculator is set to degrees.

…with angle 1 set equal to sin(40) or 0.745113

he he! :biggrin:

No it isn't!

sin(40 radians) = 0.745113 :wink:​
 

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