The figure shows the path of a portion of a ray of light as it passes through three different materials. Note: The figure is drawn to scale. What can be concluded concerning the refractive indices of these three materials? A)n₁ n₃ C)n₃

Question

The figure shows the path of a portion of a ray of light as it passes through three different materials. Note: The figure is drawn to scale. What can be concluded concerning the refractive indices of these three materials? A)n₁ < n₂ < n₃ B)n₁ > n₂ > n₃ C)n₃ < n₁ < n₂ D)n₂ < n₁ < n₃ E)n₁ < n₃ < n₂

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ray of light bends away from the normal as it enters material 2 and bends towards the normal as it enters material 3. This indicates that material 2 has a higher refractive index than material 1, and material 3 has a higher refractive index than material 2. Therefore, the refractive indices are ordered from lowest to highest as n₃ < n₁ < n₂.

The Figure Shows the Path of a Portion of a Ray