Chapter 35

The Nature of Light and the Laws of Geometric Optics

Multiple Choice
1.

According to the particle theory of light the speed of light in liquids is

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

2.

According to Einstein's theory, the energy of a photon is

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

3.

a wave at times, and a particle at other times.

a wave.
a particle.
both a wave and a particle, because of its dual nature.

The first successful measurement of the speed of light was made by

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

5.

proportional to its wavelength.

proportional to its frequency.
constant, since the speed of light is a constant.
quantized, since it always appears in bundles of size, 1.6 1019 C.
proportional to the square of the frequency.

Light behaves like

a.
b.
c.
d.

4.

less than in air.

greater than in air.
the same as in air.
zero, since particles can't move through solids.
depends on the thickness of the liquid.

Rene Descartes.
Armand Fizeau.
Christian Huygens.
Ole Roemer
James Maxwell.

An experiment to measure the speed of light uses an apparatus similar to Fizeau's. The
distance between the light source and the mirror is 10 m, and the wheel has 800 notches.
If the wheel rotates at 9000 rev/s when the light from the source is extinguished, what is
the experimental value for c (in m/s)?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

2.94 108
2.92 108
2.88 108
2.98 108
3.01 108

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Chapter 35

6.

A light ray is incident on the surface of water (n = 1.33) at an angle of 60 relative to the
normal to the surface. The angle of the refracted wave is
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

7.

A light ray is incident on the surface of water (n = 1.33) at an angle of 60 relative to the
normal to the surface. The angle of the reflected wave is
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

8.

798
500
665
376
266

The speed of light changes when it goes from ethyl alcohol (n = 1.361) to carbon
tetrachloride (n = 1.461). The ratio of the speeds v2/v1 is
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

10.

80
40
20
60
30

A light ray whose frequency is 6 1014 Hz in vacuum is incident on water (n = 1.33). The
wavelength of the light after it enters the water is (in nm)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

9.

60
20
40
80
30

1.99
1.07
0.93
0.51
0.76

Light is refracted through a diamond. If the angle of incidence is 30, and the angle of
refraction is 12, what is the index of refraction?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

1.3
2.4
2.6
1.8
0.4

2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

Chapter 35

11.

Two mirrors are at right angles to one another. A light ray is incident on the first at an
angle of 30 with respect to the normal to the surface. What is the angle of reflection from
the second surface?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

12.

40
35
50
55
61

A fish is 80 cm below the surface of a pond. What is the apparent depth (in cm) when
viewed from a position almost directly above the fish? (For water, n = 1.33.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

15.

3
2
4
more than 4

A person in a boat sees a fish in the water (n = 1.33), the light rays making an angle of 40
relative to the water's surface. What is the true angle (in degrees) relative to the
water's surface of the same rays when beneath the surface?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

14.

30
60
45
53
75

Two mirrors are at right angles to one another. If an object is placed near the mirrors,
what is the largest number of images that would be seen in the mirrors?
a.
b.
c.
d.

13.

50
60
40
70
110

A diver shines light up to the surface of a flat glass-bottomed boat at an angle of 30

relative to the normal. If the index of refraction of water and glass are 1.33 and 1.5,
respectively, at what angle (in degrees) does the light leave the glass (relative to its
normal)?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

26
35
42
22
48

2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

Chapter 35

16.

A person looks horizontally at the edge of a swimming pool. If its length is 5 m, and the
pool is filled to the surface, to what depth (in m) could the observer see? (n for water is
1.33)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

17.

An aquarium contains a 5-cm layer of water (n = 1.33) floating on top of carbon

tetrachloride (n = 1.461). If the angle of incidence into the water from the air is 30, what
is the angle of refraction into the carbon tetrachloride?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

18.

20
30
38
69
26

Light strikes a diamond (n = 2.42) at an angle of 60. What is the angle of refraction?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

20.

58
69
37
20
75

An aquarium contains a 5-cm layer of water (n = 1.333) floating on top of carbon

tetrachloride (n = 1.461). If the angle of incidence into the water from the carbon
tetrachloride is 20, what is the angle of refraction into the air?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

19.

3.2
4.4
2.1
1.0
0.3

21
30
38
69
71

Light strikes a diamond (n = 2.42) immersed in glycerin (n = 1.473) at an angle of 60.

What is the angle of refraction?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

20
60
32
64
15

2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

Chapter 35

21.

A diver shines an underwater searchlight at the surface of a pond (n = 1.33). At what

angle (relative to the surface) will the light be totally reflected?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

22.

47
41
51
58
49

A layer of ethyl alcohol (n = 1.361) is on top of water (n = 1.333). At what angle relative
to the normal to the interface of the two liquids is light totally reflected?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

23.

78
88
68
49
the critical angle is undefined

A layer of water (n = 1.333) floats on a container of carbon tetrachloride (n = 1.461). What

is the critical angle at the interface?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

88
78
66
58
43

Conceptual Problems
24.

A soda straw is stuck into water at an angle of 36 to the vertical. Looking straight down,
what does the angle of the submerged portion of the straw to the vertical appear to be?

25.

A laser beam is incident at an angle of 30 to the vertical onto a solution of Karo syrup in
water (n(pure water) = 1.33). If the beam is refracted to 19.24 to the vertical, what is the
index of refraction of the syrup solution?

26.

A layer of kerosene (n = 1.45) is floating on water. (n = 1.33) For what angles of incidence
at the kerosene-water interface will light be totally internally reflected within the
kerosene?

27.

The index of refraction for red light in water is 1.331 and for blue light is 1.340. If a ray of
white light enters the water at an angle of incidence of 83, what are the underwater
angles of refraction for the blue and red components of the light?

28.

The laws of refraction and reflection are the same for sound as for light. The speed of
sound in air is 340 m/s and in water it is 1510 m/s. If a sound wave approaches a plane
water surface at an angle of incidence of 12, what is the angle of refraction?

2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

Chapter 35

29.

The figure shows a prism with parallel sides made of a material with a variable index
of refraction. The index of refraction increases from left to right. The figure also shows a
wavefront as it reaches the prism. Which of the figures in the answers correctly shows
the most probable position of the wavefront in the prism just before the light starts to
leave the prism?
wavefront

high n

low n

30.

A monochromatic (single frequency, single wavelength) light ray in air (n = 1) enters a

glass prism (n = 1.5). In the glass prism
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

31.

both the frequency and the wavelength are the same as in air
the frequency is the same, but the wavelength is greater than in air.
the frequency is the same, but the wavelength is smaller than in air.
the wavelength is the same, but the frequency is greater than in air.
the wavelength is the same, but the frequency is smaller than in air.

For a light ray that is partially reflected and partially refracted at a boundary between
two media, as shown in the figure, for angles of incidence other than 0 the reflected ray
is perpendicular to the refracted ray when
incident reflected

refracted

a . n = tan incident.
b. n = cot incident.
sin incident
c. n =
sin reflection
sin reflection
d. n =
sin reflection
e. n = sec incident.

2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

Chapter 35

Chapter 35
The Nature of Light and the Laws of Geometric Optics
1.

Answer: b

2.

Answer: b

3.

Answer: a

4.

Answer: d

5.

Answer: c

6.

Answer: c

7.

Answer: d

8.

Answer: d

9.

Answer: c

10.

Answer: b

11.

Answer: b

12.

Answer: a

13.

Answer: d

14.

Answer: b

15.

Answer: c

16.

Answer: b

17.

Answer: d

18.

Answer: b

19.

Answer: a

20.

Answer: c

21.

Answer: b

22.

Answer: a

23.

Answer: c

2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

Chapter 35

24.

Answer: 44

25.

Answer: 1.517

26.

Answer: > 66.5

27.

Answer: 47.79 (blue), 48.22 (red)

28.

Answer: 67.4

29.

Answer: d

30.

Answer: c

31.

Answer: a

2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.