The refractive index of a medium relative to air is 1.8. Calculate to the nearest degree, the critical angle for the medium
Question 1 Report
The refractive index of a medium relative to air is 1.8. Calculate to the nearest degree, the critical angle for the medium
Answer Details
The critical angle is the angle of incidence where the angle of refraction is 90 degrees, and the refracted ray emerges along the boundary between the two media. It can be calculated using the formula: sin(critical angle) = 1/n where n is the refractive index of the medium relative to air. Therefore, sin(critical angle) = 1/1.8 = 0.5556 Using a scientific calculator or a trigonometric table, we can find that the angle whose sine is 0.5556 is approximately 34 degrees. Thus, the critical angle for the medium is 34o.
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