Question

A ray of light in air (n=1.00) strikes a block of quartz at an angle of incidence of 30o. The angle of refraction of refraction is 20o. What is the index of refraction of the quartz?

Answer 1

Here,

Refractive index of medium 1(air) $\mu_1= 1.00$

Angle of incidence of light $\theta_1=30^{\degree}$

Angle of refraction of light $\theta_2=20^{\degree}$

and let refractive index of medium 2(quartz) $=\mu_2$

Applying Snell's Law of refraction

$$\mu_1sin\theta_1=\mu_2sin\theta_2\\ \ \\(1.00)sin30=\mu_2sin20\\ \ \mu_2=\dfrac{sin30}{sin20}=\dfrac{0.5}{0.34}=1.46$$

Hence, the refractive index of quartz is 1.46