The following discussion of Snell’s Law of Refraction (named after Willebrord Snell, 1580–1626) is needed for Problems 115–122.Light, sound, and other waves travel at different speeds, depending on the medium (air, water, wood, and so on) through which they pass. Suppose that light travels from a point A in one medium, where its speed is v₁, to a point B in another medium, where its speed is v₂. Refer to the figure, where the angle θ₁ is called the angle of incidence and the angle θ₂ is the angle of refraction. Snell’s Law, which can be proved using calculus, states that

The ratio v₁/v₂ is called the index of refraction. Some values are given in the table shown below.

The speed of yellow sodium light (wavelength, 589 nanometers) in a certain liquid is measured to be 1.92 × 10⁸ meters per second. What is the index of refraction of this liquid, with respect to air, for sodium light?

Transcribed Image Text:

sin 0₁ sin 0₂ V₁ V2