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M asked in Science & MathematicsPhysics · 1 decade ago

Light passing through a slab?

A ray of light strikes a flat 2.00 cm thick block of flint glass (n = 1.66) at an angle of θ = 27.0° with the normal. Trace the light beam through the flint glass and find the angles of incidence and refraction at each surface.

The question wants the angles of refraction at both the first and second surface, which I had no problem finding, but it also wants the angle of incidence at the second surface, as it's coming out of the slab. I have a feeling the solution is probably totally obvious, but I'm just not seeing it!

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  • FISPP
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    incidence at 27°

    first refraction at 15.87 °

    second incidence at 15.87 °

    second refraction (OF COURSE) at 27°

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Don't think of a slab, think of this as two interface transition problems.

    The first problem is a ray of light striking a surface at a 27 degree angle and transitioning from air to material.

    The second problem is a ray of light striking a surface at an angle and transitioning from the material to air.

    The parameter that relates the two separate problems is that the exit angle from the first interface (air to material) is equal to the incidence angle at the second interface (material to air).

    [Hint: by symmetry, the effect of the second transition undoes the effect of the first...]

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