Refractive Index at Critical Angle: Find the Solution

AI Thread Summary
To find the refractive index of glass at the critical angle when light travels from glass to air at a 30-degree angle, it's essential to apply Snell's Law. The critical angle occurs when the angle of refraction is 90 degrees, leading to the equation sin(θ_c) = n2/n1, where n2 is the refractive index of air (approximately 1.0003) and n1 is the refractive index of glass. Since the angle of incidence is less than the critical angle, light will refract rather than reflect. The correct approach involves using sin(30°)/sin(90°) = n2/n1 to determine the refractive index of glass, which must be greater than 1.0003. Understanding these principles is crucial for solving the problem accurately.
mogley76
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Homework Statement



a ray of light traveling through glass is incident at the interface with air at an angle of 30 deg to the normal. if the ray is refracted at the critical angle, what is the refractive index of the glass?


Homework Equations



none

The Attempt at a Solution



sin (90)= n2/n1 therefore n = 1 is that right?
 
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n of the glass can't equal 1, because that is for vacuum. And air is like n=1.0003 or something .

If the light incident on a barrier is incident at an angle less than the critical angle, light will refract through. If its more than the critical angle, the light will internally reflect.

This holds for light incident on an interface traveling in a material with a greater index of refraction than the material the light wants to enter.

So for this to even be possible, you know n of glass is going to be bigger than 1.0003.

Do you know snells law? You need that equation and the equation for the critical angle.
Do you have a reference to find those and read what comes with it?
 
Last edited:
sin crit angle =n2 right?
 
mogley76 said:
sin crit angle =n2 right?

Not quite.

sin\left(\theta_{c}\right)=\frac{n_{2}}{n_{1}}

So \theta_{c} = sin^{-1}\left(\frac{n_{2}}{n_{1}}\right)
n1 is the medium the light is in, n2 is the index of air which is 1.0003
 
mogley76 said:
sin crit angle =n2 right?

You can use a general expression
n1sin(θ1) = n2sin(θ2)
suffix 1for the incident medium and 2 for the refracted medium.
When the angle of incidence in the denser medium is equal to the critical angle, the angle of refraction in the rarer medium is 90o.
 
mogley76 said:

The Attempt at a Solution



sin (90)= n2/n1 therefore n = 1 is that right?

This should be: sin(30°)/sin(90°)= n2/n1 , where n2 is the refractive index of air.
 
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