Relative to the angle of incidence, how will angle of refraction (θ2) change when a monochromatic ray of light enters a medium of greater refractive index?A.θ will increase, because total internal reflection occurs.B.θ will not change, because only multi-color light refracts.C.θ will decrease, because the energy of light decreases in the new medium.D.θ will decrease, because light travels slower in the new medium.
Question
Relative to the angle of incidence, how will angle of refraction (θ2) change when a monochromatic ray of light enters a medium of greater refractive index?A.θ will increase, because total internal reflection occurs.B.θ will not change, because only multi-color light refracts.C.θ will decrease, because the energy of light decreases in the new medium.D.θ will decrease, because light travels slower in the new medium.
Solution
The correct answer is D. θ will decrease, because light travels slower in the new medium.
Here's the step-by-step explanation:
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When a ray of light passes from a medium of lower refractive index (like air) to a medium of higher refractive index (like water or glass), it bends towards the normal. This is due to the decrease in the speed of light in the denser medium.
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The angle of incidence is the angle between the incident ray and the normal, while the angle of refraction is the angle between the refracted ray and the normal.
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According to Snell's law, the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is equal to the ratio of the velocity of light in the first medium to the velocity of light in the second medium.
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Since the speed of light is slower in the denser medium, the angle of refraction will be less than the angle of incidence. This means that the light ray bends towards the normal, making the angle of refraction smaller.
So, when a monochromatic ray of light enters a medium of greater refractive index, the angle of refraction (θ2) will decrease.
Similar Questions
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