Question

The absolute refractive indices of water and glycerine are 1.33 and 1.46 respectively. Find the critical angle for a ray travelling from glycerine into water.

Answer 1

Given:

Refractive index of glycerine (denser medium), μ₁ = 1.46

Refractive index of water (rarer medium), μ₂ = 1.33

To Find:

Critical angle (C)

Formula:

sin ⁡C = `μ_2/μ_1`​

sin C = `1.33/1.46`

sin C = 0.9109589

C = sin⁻¹ (0.911)

C ≈ 65.6°