A light wave travels from air into a medium of refractive index 1.54. If the wavelength of the light in air is \(5.9\times10^{-7}\)m, calculate its waveleng...

Assessment: WAEC SSCE - Physics - 1994 (Objective) Subject: Physics

Question 1 Report

A light wave travels from air into a medium of refractive index 1.54. If the wavelength of the light in air is \(5.9\times10^{-7}\)m, calculate its wavelength in the medium
Answer Details
The relationship between the wavelength of light in two different media and their refractive indices is given by the formula: \begin{equation*} \frac{\lambda_1}{\lambda_2} = \frac{n_2}{n_1} \end{equation*} Where: \begin{itemize} \item \(\lambda_1\) is the wavelength of light in the first medium \item \(\lambda_2\) is the wavelength of light in the second medium \item \(n_1\) is the refractive index of the first medium \item \(n_2\) is the refractive index of the second medium \end{itemize} In this case, the light wave travels from air (first medium) into a medium of refractive index 1.54 (second medium). Therefore, we can use the above formula to find the wavelength of the light in the second medium: \begin{align*} \frac{\lambda_1}{\lambda_2} &= \frac{n_2}{n_1} \\ \lambda_2 &= \frac{n_1}{n_2} \lambda_1 \\ &= \frac{1}{1.54} \times 5.9 \times 10^{-7} \mathrm{m} \\ &\approx 3.84 \times 10^{-7} \mathrm{m} \end{align*} Therefore, the wavelength of the light in the medium is approximately \(3.84\times10^{-7}\)m. Answer: \boxed{2}. \(3.8\times10^{-7}\)m.

Download The App On Google Playstore

Everything you need to excel in your exams

Green Bridge CBT Mobile App
Personalized AI Learning Chat Assistant
200,000+ Exam Questions Across IGCSE, JAMB, WAEC & NECO
Over 3,900 Lesson Notes
Offline Support - Learn Anytime, Anywhere
Green Bridge Timetable
Literature Summaries & Potential Questions
Track Your Performance & Progress
In-depth Explanations for Comprehensive Learning