Suppose the Earth's atmosphere can be modeled by a series of cells of air with spherically shaped interfaces and indexes of refraction increasing with depth below the "top" (upper) surface. A ray strikes the upper surface at some nonzero angle with respect to the surface normal. As it comes toward the Earth, the ray direction will cause
A) a more drastic curvature than a flat interface.
B) a less drastic curvature than a flat interface.
C) no change from the curvature produced by a flat interface.
D) None of the previous responses is correct.
E) More information is needed to work out the answer.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The spherical interfaces and increasing refractive index with depth will cause the ray to bend more, resulting in a more drastic curvature compared to a flat interface.

Suppose the Earth's Atmosphere Can Be Modeled by a Series