Skip to main content
Ch 34: Ray Optics
Knight Calc - Physics for Scientists and Engineers 5th Edition
Knight Calc5th EditionPhysics for Scientists and EngineersISBN: 9780137344796Non è quello che usi tu?Cambia libro di testo
Capitolo 34, Problema 14

An underwater diver sees the sun 50° above horizontal. How high is the sun above the horizon to a fisherman in a boat above the diver?

Guida verificata passo dopo passo
1
Step 1: Understand the concept of refraction. When light passes from one medium to another (e.g., water to air), its speed changes, causing the light to bend. This bending is described by Snell's Law: n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂, where n₁ and n₂ are the refractive indices of the two media, and θ₁ and θ₂ are the angles of incidence and refraction, respectively.
Step 2: Identify the refractive indices for water and air. The refractive index of water is approximately n₁ = 1.33, and the refractive index of air is approximately n₂ = 1.00. These values will be used in Snell's Law.
Step 3: Recognize that the angle given (50°) is the angle of refraction, θ₂, as seen by the diver underwater. You need to calculate the angle of incidence, θ₁, which is the angle of the sun above the horizon as seen by the fisherman in the boat.
Step 4: Rearrange Snell's Law to solve for θ₁: θ₁ = arcsin((n₂ / n₁) * sin θ₂). Substitute the known values: n₁ = 1.33, n₂ = 1.00, and θ₂ = 50°.
Step 5: Perform the calculation using the formula derived in Step 4. This will give you the angle of incidence, θ₁, which represents the sun's height above the horizon as seen by the fisherman.

Risposta video verificata per un problema simile:

Questa soluzione video è stata consigliata dai nostri tutor come utile per risolvere questo problema.

Concetti chiave

Ecco i concetti essenziali che devi comprendere per rispondere correttamente alla domanda.

Angle of Elevation

The angle of elevation is the angle formed by the horizontal line and the line of sight to an object above that line. In this scenario, the diver sees the sun at an angle of 50° above the horizontal, which indicates how high the sun appears from the diver's perspective underwater.
Video consigliato:

Refraction of Light

Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another, such as from water to air. This phenomenon affects how objects appear to observers in different mediums, meaning the angle at which the fisherman sees the sun may differ from the angle perceived by the diver due to the change in medium.
Video consigliato:
Percorso guidato
03:46
Index of Refraction

Geometry of Sight Lines

The geometry of sight lines involves understanding how angles and distances relate to the positions of observers and objects. In this case, both the diver and the fisherman are at different depths, and the geometry helps determine the actual height of the sun above the horizon as seen by the fisherman based on the diver's angle of elevation.
Video consigliato:
Percorso guidato
08:20
Electric Field Lines
Pratica correlata
Domanda del libro di testo

A 1.0-cm-thick layer of water stands on a horizontal slab of glass. A light ray in the air is incident on the water 60° from the normal. What is the ray's direction of travel in the glass?

61
views
Domanda del libro di testo

A costume jewelry pendant made of cubic zirconia is submerged in oil. A light ray in the oil strikes one face of the zirconia crystal at an angle of incidence of 25°. Once inside, what is the ray's angle with respect to the face of the crystal?

60
views
Domanda del libro di testo

A biologist keeps a specimen of his favorite beetle embedded in a cube of polystyrene plastic. The hapless bug appears to be 2.0 cm within the plastic. What is the beetle's actual distance beneath the surface?

82
views
Domanda del libro di testo

A giant ocean tank at an aquarium has acrylic plastic walls 18 cm thick. The index of refraction of acrylic plastic is 1.49. A fish is 220 cm from the inside wall. To a viewer on the outside, how far does the fish appear to be from the outside wall? Hint: The of the first refraction is the object for the second refraction.

62
views
Domanda del libro di testo

To a fish in an aquarium, the 4.00-mm-thick walls appear to be only 3.50 mm thick. What is the index of refraction of the walls?

79
views
Domanda del libro di testo

The glass core of an optical fiber has an index of refraction 1.60. The index of refraction of the cladding is 1.48. What is the maximum angle a light ray can make with the wall of the core if it is to remain inside the fiber?

120
views