A beam of light enters a prism with an angle of incidence of 45 degrees. If the refractive index of the prism is 1.5, what is the angle of refraction inside the prism?
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A beam of light enters a prism with an angle of incidence of 45 degrees. If the refractive index of the prism is 1.5, what is the angle of refraction inside the prism?
Q: A beam of light enters a prism with an angle of incidence of 45 degrees. If the refractive index of the prism is 1.5, what is the angle of refraction inside the prism?
Step 1: Identify the given values. The angle of incidence (θ1) is 45 degrees, the refractive index of air (n1) is 1, and the refractive index of the prism (n2) is 1.5.
Step 2: Write down Snell's law formula: n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2).
Step 3: Substitute the known values into the formula: 1 * sin(45 degrees) = 1.5 * sin(θ2).
Step 4: Calculate sin(45 degrees). It is approximately 0.7071.
Step 5: Rewrite the equation: 0.7071 = 1.5 * sin(θ2).
Step 6: Solve for sin(θ2) by dividing both sides by 1.5: sin(θ2) = 0.7071 / 1.5.
Step 7: Calculate sin(θ2): sin(θ2) ≈ 0.4714.
Step 8: Find θ2 by taking the inverse sine (arcsin) of 0.4714: θ2 ≈ 30 degrees.
