Understanding Snell's Law

Who was Snell's Law named after?

• Galileo Galilei

• Willebrord Snellius

• Albert Einstein

• Isaac Newton

What does Snell's Law relate?

• The wavelength of light to its frequency

• The energy of a photon to its frequency

• The speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a medium

• The angle of incidence to the angle of refraction and the indices of refraction

In Snell's Law, what is typically not used due to large numbers?

• Indices of refraction

• Velocities of light in materials

• Angles of incidence

• Angles of refraction

When light passes from air to water, what happens to the angle of refraction compared to the angle of incidence?

• It becomes greater

• It remains the same

• It becomes less

• It doubles

What is the angle of refraction when light enters water at an angle of 55° from air?

• 48°

• 38°

• 55°

• 60°

In the example problem, what is the index of refraction for water used in calculations?

• 1.33

• 1.50

• 1.00

• 1.77

What is the angle of incidence in the example problem involving an unknown material and water?

• 55°

• 34°

• 38°

• 48°

What is the calculated index of refraction for the unknown material in the example problem?

• 1.50

• 1.33

• 1.77

• 2.00

When light moves from a higher to a lower index of refraction, what happens to the light ray?

• It bends towards the normal

• It reflects back

• It travels in a straight line

• It bends away from the normal

What is a key step in successfully applying Snell's Law?

• Rearranging the equation and plugging in values

• Memorizing all possible angles

• Using a protractor for exact measurements

• Ignoring the indices of refraction