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Refraction problem!
A beam of white light is incident on the surface of a diamond at an angle Theta_a. Since the index of refraction depends on the light's wavelength, the different colors that comprise white light will spread out as they pass through the diamond. For example, the indices of refraction in diamond are nred = 2.410 for red light and nblue = 2.450 for blue light. Thus, blue light and red light are refracted at different angles inside the diamond, as shown in the picture. The surrounding air has nair = 1.
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8778/problemyh8.jpg
A diamond is cut such that the angle between its top surface and its bottom surface is alpha. For alpha = 45 degrees, find the largest possible value of the incident angle theta_a such that the blue light is totally internally reflected off the bottom surface.
Snells law
n1sin(theta_1) = n1sin(theta_2)
I'm sorry, I couldn't even touch the problem. Can anyone give me like the slightest hints to this? I'm thinking it's related to finding the critical angle then applying it somehow, which turned out to be 24.09 degrees, but I'm completely stuck here.
Homework Statement
A beam of white light is incident on the surface of a diamond at an angle Theta_a. Since the index of refraction depends on the light's wavelength, the different colors that comprise white light will spread out as they pass through the diamond. For example, the indices of refraction in diamond are nred = 2.410 for red light and nblue = 2.450 for blue light. Thus, blue light and red light are refracted at different angles inside the diamond, as shown in the picture. The surrounding air has nair = 1.
http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8778/problemyh8.jpg
A diamond is cut such that the angle between its top surface and its bottom surface is alpha. For alpha = 45 degrees, find the largest possible value of the incident angle theta_a such that the blue light is totally internally reflected off the bottom surface.
Homework Equations
Snells law
n1sin(theta_1) = n1sin(theta_2)
The Attempt at a Solution
I'm sorry, I couldn't even touch the problem. Can anyone give me like the slightest hints to this? I'm thinking it's related to finding the critical angle then applying it somehow, which turned out to be 24.09 degrees, but I'm completely stuck here.
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