SNC 2D0/E - Snell's Law Worksheet
Snell's Law: ni sin(i) = nr sin(r)
1. With the use of your calculator find the sine of: 28°, 45°, 12°, 34.6°, 83°, 90°
2. With the use of your calculator find the angle that produces this sine: 0.35, 0.89, 0.36, 0.72, 1.23
3. Calculate the index of refraction for material X if the angle in air is 57° and the refracted angle is 35°
4. Calculate the index of refraction for material X if the angle in air is 34° and the refracted angle is 23°
5. A ray of light is incident to a piece of crown glass at 30, calculate the angle of refraction.
6. A ray of light is incident to a piece of flint glass at 45, calculate the angle of refraction.
7. A ray of light inside a piece of diamond is incident at 10°, a what angle does the ray emerge into air?
8. A ray of light inside a piece of ruby is incident at 25°, a what angle does the ray emerge into air?
Refraction Problems
1. Light passes from air into diamond with an angle of incidence of 60°. What will be the angle of
refraction?
2. A transparent substance has a refractive index of 1.30. What is the angle of incidence in air when the
angle of refraction in the substance is 45°?
3. What is the index of refraction of a material if the angle of incidence in air is 50° and the angle of
refraction in the material is 40°?
4. What is the critical angle in flint glass when light passes from flint glass into air?
5. If the index of refraction for water is 1 .33, what is the critical angle for water?
6. The critical angle for a medium is 40.5°. What is the index of refraction of the medium?
7. Using Snell’s Law, determine the index of refraction when the angle of incidence and the angle of
refraction are:
a) 50° and 30°
b) 30° and 18°
c) 60° and 38°
8. What is the index of refraction of a medium if the angle of incidence in air is 63° and the angle of
refraction is 30°?
9. What is the angle of refraction in a medium if the angle of incidence in air is 48° and the index of
refraction of the medium is 1.58?
10. What is the angle of incidence in a medium in the case where the angle of refraction in air is 40°
and the index of refraction of the medium is 1.58?
11. A ray of light in air strikes a block of quartz at an angle of incidence of 30°. The angle of refraction is
20°. What is the index of refraction of the quartz?
12. A light ray goes from the air into the glass. If the angle of incidence is 34°, what is the angle of
refraction? Include a sketch.
13. A light source sits in a tank of water, as shown. If one of the light rays coming from inside the tank
of water hits the surface at 55º measured from the surface to the ray, at what angle, θ, will it enter the
air?
14. Consider the familiar scenario in which a pencil is partially submerged in a bowl of transparent
liquid. Light rays leaving the bottom of the pencil refract upon entering the air before finally reaching
your eye. Use Snell’s Law to determine the index of refraction for the unknown liquid.
Indices of refraction for various media in yellow light
Medium
Refractive Index
Air
1.00
Diamond
2.4195
Water
1.333
Medium
Ice
Benzene
Ethyl Alcohol
Refractive Index
1.310
1.510
1.360
15. What is the speed of yellow light in benzene?[2.00 x 108 m/s]
16. If a ray of yellow light travels from air into water at an angle of incidence of 34º, what is the angle of
refraction?[24.8º]
17. A ray of green light travels from air to glycerol at an angle of 38° and deviated by 13.4°. What is the
refractive index for green light in glycerol? [1.5]
18. What is the critical angle for water? [48.61º]
19. A ray of light is incident on the face of an isosceles prism as shown.
The refractive index of the glass is 1.55. Will the ray be reflected or
refracted at the next face? Why? [reflected]
20. Find the critical angle for light passing from benzene to water. [62.63º]
21. A ray of light is incident at 36° at the boundary of ethyl alcohol and benzene.
What is the angle of refraction? [32º]
22. A ray of yellow light goes from air to diamond at an angle of incidence of! 41°. Through what angle
will it be deviated? [25º]