A ray of blue light travels through air and is refracted as it enters a glass prism shown in the figure. An unknown liquid is in contact with the right side of the prism. The light then follows the path shown. Which one of the following statements concerning this situation is true?
A)The frequency of the light changes inside the prism.
B)The index of refraction of the glass is smaller than that of air.
C)The index of refraction of the unknown liquid is the same as that of the glass.
D)The speed of light is larger in the liquid than in the glass.
E)The refractive index of the liquid is the same as that of air.

Question

A ray of blue light travels through air and is refracted as it enters a glass prism shown in the figure. An unknown liquid is in contact with the right side of the prism. The light then follows the path shown. Which one of the following statements concerning this situation is true? 
A)The frequency of the light changes inside the prism. 
B)The index of refraction of the glass is smaller than that of air. 
C)The index of refraction of the unknown liquid is the same as that of the glass. 
D)The speed of light is larger in the liquid than in the glass. 
E)The refractive index of the liquid is the same as that of air.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Option A is false because the frequency of light does not change when it is refracted. 
Option B is false because the index of refraction of glass is greater than that of air. 
Option D is false because the speed of light is slower in the glass than in air, and it slows down further in the liquid since the light is bending towards the normal. 
Option E is false because the index of refraction of the liquid is greater than that of air since the light bends towards the normal. 
Therefore, the correct option is C, which states that the index of refraction of the unknown liquid is the same as that of the glass.

A Ray of Blue Light Travels Through Air and Is