If the angle of incidence in a medium is 45° and the refractive index of the med

If the angle of incidence in a medium is 45° and the refractive index of the medium is 1.5, what is the angle of refraction in air?

If the angle of incidence in a medium is 45° and the refractive index of the medium is 1.5, what is the angle of refraction in air?

Step 1: Identify the given values. The angle of incidence (θ1) is 45° and the refractive index of the medium (n1) is 1.5. The refractive index of air (n2) is approximately 1.
Step 2: Write down Snell's law formula: n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2).
Step 3: Substitute the known values into the formula: 1.5 * sin(45°) = 1 * sin(θ2).
Step 4: Calculate sin(45°). It is approximately 0.7071.
Step 5: Now substitute this value into the equation: 1.5 * 0.7071 = sin(θ2).
Step 6: Calculate 1.5 * 0.7071, which equals approximately 1.0607.
Step 7: Since sin(θ2) cannot be greater than 1, this means total internal reflection occurs.

Refraction and Snell's Law – Understanding how light bends when it passes from one medium to another, governed by Snell's law.
Total Internal Reflection – The phenomenon that occurs when the angle of incidence exceeds the critical angle, preventing refraction.