Chapter 34: Q. 20 (page 990)

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?

Short Answer

Expert verified

The index of refraction of the walls is $1.52$

Step by step solution

By given data.

To find the refractive index of the aquarium walls, use the equation that shows the relationship between the refractive indices of the two media, the real thickness, and the apparent thickness.

Deriving the equation for the refractive index of the aquarium

The relationship between the wall's true thickness $S$ and its apparent thickness $s^{'}$ is given by,

$s^{'} = (\frac{n_{w}}{n_{aq}}) s$

The refractive index of water is $n_{w}$ , and the refractive index of aquarium walls is $n_{aq}$ .

Rearrange the equation for the aquarium's refractive index.

$n_{aq} = (\frac{s}{s^{'}}) n_{w}$

To find the refraction of the walls

The refractive index of the aquarium's walls is,

$n_{aq} = (\frac{s}{s^{'}}) n_{w}$

Substituting $4.00 mm$ for $S$ , $3.50 mm$ for $s^{'}$ , and $1.33$ for $n_{w}$ .

role="math" localid="1651391770543" $n_{a q} = (\frac{4.00 mm}{3.50 mm}) 1.33$

$= 1.52$

As a result, the aquarium's walls have a refraction index of $1.52$

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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?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

By given data.

Deriving the equation for the refractive index of the aquarium

To find the refraction of the walls

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

Short Answer

Step by step solution

By given data.

Deriving the equation for the refractive index of the aquarium

To find the refraction of the walls

One App. One Place for Learning.

Most popular questions from this chapter

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Translational Dynamics

Electrostatics

Further Mechanics and Thermal Physics

Wave Optics

Nuclear Physics

Fundamentals of Physics

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

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?