A solid glass sphere with a radius of 5.00 cm and index of refraction of 1.52 has a small coin embedded 3.00 cm from the front surface of the sphere.For the viewer looking at the coin through the glass,at what distance from the front surface of the glass does the coin's image appear to be located?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The apparent depth of the coin can be calculated using the formula for apparent depth in a medium: apparent depth = real depth / refractive index. Here, the real depth is 3.00 cm and the refractive index is 1.52. Thus, the apparent depth is 3.00 cm / 1.52 = 1.97 cm. Since the coin is 3.00 cm from the front surface, the image appears at 3.00 cm - 1.97 cm = 1.03 cm from the front surface. Adding this to the 1.45 cm (the difference between the radius and the real depth), the image appears at 2.48 cm from the front surface.

A Solid Glass Sphere with a Radius of 5