Practice Problems
Basic Refraction Properties
Directions:
On this worksheet you will examine several situations dealing with properties of light as it refracts through transparent substances.
omit
Question 1
A beam of light traveling in air has an angle of incidence of 43.0º when it enters a transparent medium which has an index of refraction of 1.28. What is the angle of refraction of the beam inside the medium?
34.8
32.2
57.8
55.2
omit
Question 2
If the wavelength of the beam of light in
Question #1
while traveling through air is 434 nm, then what is its wavelength while traveling in the transparent medium?
556 nm
540 nm
339 nm
391 nm
omit
Question 3
What is the frequency of the light in
Question #2
as it is traveling through the transparent medium?
6.91 x 10
12
hz
1.45 x 10
15
hz
5.4 x 10
14
hz
6.91 x 10
14
hz
omit
Question 4
What is the average speed of light as the beam in
Question #2
travels through the transparent medium?
4.27 x 10
7
m/sec
2.34 x 10
8
m/sec
1.72 x 10
8
m/sec
3.84 x 10
7
m/sec
omit
Question 5
A ray of light travels from air, medium #1, into medium #2 as shown below.
If the angle
q
1
equals 64.5º and
q
2
= 12.7º then determine the second medium's index of refraction.
1.24
4.11
1.51
1.96
omit
Question 6
Which diagram correctly illustrates the path a beam of light, initially traveling through air, as it enters and exits a right triangular prism having an index of 1.28?
omit
Question 7
If the length of the light's path inside the prism is measured to be 4.3 cm, how much time was required for the light to pass through the prism and back into the air?
5.45 x 10
-10
sec
2.5 x 10
-10
sec
1.83 x 10
-10
sec
1.01 x 10
-9
sec
omit
Question 8
Which of the following statements are true about a beam of light when it transitions into a medium with a lower index of refraction?
its frequency decreases
its wavelength decreases
its speed decreases
its refracted angle is less than its angle of incidence
2 and 3
only 1
none of the statements listed are true
only 4
PhysicsLAB
Copyright © 1997-2022
Catharine H. Colwell
All rights reserved.
Application Programmer
Mark Acton