The dependence of the index of refraction on wavelength is called dispersion.A beam of light (in air)containing red and blue light is incident at an angle of 35 $\circ$ on a glass plate that has an index of refraction of 1.64 for blue light and 1.61 for red light.Calculate the angle between the red and blue light inside the glass.
A)1.3 $\circ$
B)0.40 $\circ$
C)0.56 $\circ$
D)0.74 $\circ$
E)0.13 $\circ$

Question

The dependence of the index of refraction on wavelength is called dispersion.A beam of light (in air)containing red and blue light is incident at an angle of 35 $\circ$ on a glass plate that has an index of refraction of 1.64 for blue light and 1.61 for red light.Calculate the angle between the red and blue light inside the glass.
A)1.3 $\circ$ 
B)0.40 $\circ$ 
C)0.56 $\circ$ 
D)0.74 $\circ$ 
E)0.13 $\circ$

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the angle between the red and blue light inside the glass, we use Snell's law, $n_1 \sin(\theta_1) = n_2 \sin(\theta_2)$, where $n_1$ and $n_2$ are the indices of refraction of the first and second medium, respectively, and $\theta_1$ and $\theta_2$ are the angles of incidence and refraction, respectively. Given that the index of refraction for blue light is 1.64 and for red light is 1.61, and the angle of incidence is 35 degrees, we can calculate the angles of refraction for both colors inside the glass. The difference between these angles gives the dispersion angle between the red and blue light inside the glass. Calculating these angles and their difference yields an angle of approximately 0.40 degrees, making option B the correct answer.

The Dependence of the Index of Refraction on Wavelength Is ∘\circ∘

The Dependence of the Index of Refraction on Wavelength Is $\circ$