A container is filled with fluid 1 and the apparent depth of the fluid is 5 cm.The container is next filled with fluid 2,and the apparent depth of this fluid is 3 cm.What is the ratio of the indices of refraction of these fluids?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The apparent depth of a fluid is given by:
apparent depth = actual depth / refractive index of fluid
Let's assume the actual depths of fluid 1 and 2 are h1 and h2 respectively. Then we have:
5 = h1/n1     ...(1)
3 = h2/n2     ...(2)
Dividing (1) by (2), we get:
5/3 = (h1/n1)/(h2/n2)
Simplifying, we get:
n1/n2 = 5/3

A Container Is Filled with Fluid 1 and the Apparent