Question

Light passes from air into water at an angle of
incidence of 33.5.degrees
Find the angle of refraction in the water.
Answer in units of degrees

Answer 1

By Snell's law,
n(incident)sin(theta(incident)) = n(refracted)sin(theta(refracted)) or n(1)sin(theta(1)) = n(2)sin(theta(2))

Solving for theta(2)

sin(theta(2)) = [n(1)sin(theta(1))]/n(2)

Theta(2) = arcsin [n(1)sin(theta(1))]/n(2)

Theta(2) = arcsin ((1)(sin(33.5))/1.33 or whatever your instructor says to use for the indexes of refraction for air and water