Physics 2220 Module 12 Homework

01.

The mirror in the figure deflects a horizontal laser beam by 60o. What is the angle ?
This is an exercise in geometry. Notice:

i + = 90o
r + (60 o ) = 90o
Since the incident and reflected are the same, set the
equations equal.

90 o = 90o 60 o +
60 o = 2
= 30 o
02.

An underwater diver sees the sun 50o above the horizontal. How high is the Sun above the horizontal to
a fisherman in the boat above the diver?
Use Snell's Law to determine the incident angle of the
Sun's rays.

n air sin (air ) = nwater sin (water )

air = sin
air = sin

n water
sin (water )
nair

sin (40 )) = 58.7

( 1.33
1.00
o

So the angle someone above the water would see the

Sun above the horizon:

= 90 o 58.7 o = 31.3o
03.

It's nighttime, and you've dropped your goggles into a 3.0-m-deep swimming pool. If you hold a laser
pointer 1.0 m above the edge of the pool, you can illuminated the goggles if the laser beam enters the
water 2.0 m from the edge. How far are the goggles from the edge of the pool?
Use some geometry to find the incident angle:

air = tan1

( 2.01.0m m ) = 63.43

Now get the refracted angle using Snell's Law:

n air sin (air ) = n water sin ( water )

water = sin1
1

airwater = sin

n air
sin ( air )
n water

sin (63.43 )) = 42.26

( 1.00
1.33
o

Use geometry to find x.

tan ( water ) =

x
3.0 m

Total Distance is therefore 4.73 m.

x = (3.0 m) (tan (42.26o )) = 2.73 m

04.

The glass core of an optical fiber has an index of refraction of 1.60. The index of refraction of the
cladding is 1.48. What is the maximum angle a light ray can make with the wall of the core if it is to
remain inside the fiber?
Simply determine the critical angle.

c = sin1
05.

ncladding
1.48
= sin1
= 67.7 o
ncore
1.60

( )

A beam of light strikes a sheet of glass at an angle of 57.0 with the normal in air. The red light makes
an angle of 38.1 with the normal in the glass, while the violet light makes an angle of 36.7.
(a)

What are the indexes of refraction of this glass for these colors of light?
Use Snell's law to solve for the indexes of refraction:

n air sin (air) = nglass sin (glass )

Red:

n glass =
Violet:

(b)

n air sin (air ) (1) sin (57.0)

=
= 1.36

sin (glass )
sin (38.1 )

n air sin (air ) (1) sin (57.0)

n glass =
=
= 1.40

sin (glass )
sin (36.7 )

What are the speeds of red and violet light in the glass?
Now that we have the indexes of refraction, speeds can be found.
Red:

v=

c
3.00 10 m/s
=
= 2.21 108 m/s
n
1.36

v=

c 3.00 10 m/s
=
= 2.14 108 m/s
n
1.40

Violet:

06.

A sheet of glass has nred = 1.52 and nviolet = 1.55. A narrow beam of white light is incident on the glass at
30o. What is the angular spread of the light inside the glass?
Use Snell's Law to determine the refracted angle for each of the wavelengths.

n1 sin (1 ) = nred sin ( red )

red = sin1

n1
1.00
sin ( 1) = sin1
sin (30o ) = 19.204897 o
nred
1.52

n1 sin (1 ) = nblue sin ( blue)

blue = sin1

n1
1.00
sin (1 ) = sin1
sin (30 o) = 18.8190633o
n blue
1.55

The difference between the refracted angles is the angular spread.

= red violet = 0.4 o

07.

Only 25% of the intensity of a polarized light wave passes through a polarizing filter. What is the angle
between the electric field and the axis of the filter?
Use the relationship between the initial and final intensity of light:

I = I o cos2 ()
I
= 0.25 = cos2 ()
Io
cos () = 0.25
1
o
= cos ( 0.25) = 60
08.

A 200 mW vertically polarized laser beam passes through a polarizing filter whose axis is 35 o from
horizontal. What is the power of the laser beam as it emerges from the filter?
Start with the relationship between the initial and final intensity of light.

I = I o cos2 ()
The equation for wave intensity can apply to both the initial and transmitted intensity:

I=

P
A

Io =

Po
A

Assuming the area of the beam does not change, the first equation becomes:

P = Po cos2 ()
Solve for the power of the beam as it emerges from the filter. Since the filter's axis is 35 degrees from
the horizontal, the angle between the electric field and the filter axis = 90 35 = 55 degrees

P = (200 103 W) cos2 (55 o) = 66 mW