A light wave in air strikes a glass plate 1 cm thick at an angle of incidence of 50.0º.If the index of refraction of the glass is 1.50 for this light,the actual path length of the light through the glass is approximately

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The actual path length of the light through the glass is given by the product of the thickness of the glass and the sine of the angle of refraction. The angle of refraction can be found using Snell's law:n1 * sin(theta1) = n2 * sin(theta2)where n1 is the index of refraction of the first medium (air), theta1 is the angle of incidence, n2 is the index of refraction of the second medium (glass), and theta2 is the angle of refraction.Plugging in the given values, we get:1 * sin(50.0º) = 1.50 * sin(theta2)Solving for theta2, we get:theta2 = 32.4ºTherefore, the actual path length of the light through the glass is:1 cm * sin(32.4º) = 0.51 cmTherefore, the correct answer is A.

A Light Wave in Air Strikes a Glass Plate 1