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 30.0º when it enters a transparent medium which has an index of refraction of 1.38. What is the angle of refraction of the beam inside the medium?
51.1
38.9
68.8
21.2
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Question 2
If the wavelength of the beam of light in
Question #1
while traveling through air is 494 nm, then what is its wavelength while traveling in the transparent medium?
464 nm
358 nm
440 nm
682 nm
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Question 3
What is the frequency of the light in
Question #2
as it is traveling through the transparent medium?
6.07 x 10
14
hz
1.65 x 10
15
hz
4.4 x 10
14
hz
6.07 x 10
12
hz
omit
Question 4
What is the average speed of light as the beam in
Question #2
travels through the transparent medium?
4.6 x 10
7
m/sec
4.14 x 10
7
m/sec
2.17 x 10
8
m/sec
1.62 x 10
8
m/sec
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Question 5
A ray of light travels from air, medium #1, into medium #2 as shown below.
If the angle
q
1
equals 45º and
q
2
= 31.2º then determine the second medium's index of refraction.
1.36
1.73
1.36
1.73
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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 1.38?
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Question 7
If the length of the light's path inside the prism is measured to be 3 cm, how much time was required for the light to pass through the prism and back into the air?
1.38 x 10
-10
sec
6.52 x 10
-10
sec
1.85 x 10
-10
sec
7.25 x 10
-10
sec
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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
only 4
only 1
2 and 3
none of the statements listed are true
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