PhysicsLAB Worksheet
Refraction Through a Triangle

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Light of wavelength 520 nm strikes a triangular piece of plexiglass as shown in the diagram below.
 
On your printouts, construct a normal and use a protractor to measure the ray's angle of incidence to one decimal place. 

Continue taking data by measuring the ray's angle of refraction inside the triangle to one decimal place. 

If the index of refraction for air is n = 1.00, use Snell's Law to calculate the index of refraction of the triangle to two decimal places. 

Using your value for the index of refraction of plexiglass from the previous question, calculate the average speed at which this beam of light travels through the triangle. 

Measure the distance (to one decimal place) that the light beam will need to travel as it moves through the triangular piece of plexiglass. 

How many seconds does the light require to make the journey through the triangle? 

Using your value for the index of refraction of plexiglass, calculate the wavelength of this beam of light as it passes through the triangle. 

What is the frequency of this beam of light? 

On your printout sketch the path of the ray as it exits the triangle. Justify your angle using Snell's Law. Label all necessary angles on your diagram and show all of your calculations.
 




 
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