Marios Antoniou

2010
2/11/2010

OPTICS PRACTICE
PROBLEMS
 OPTICS REVIEW PROBLEMS
The absolute index of refraction of the material is
1 When a light wave enters a new medium and is approximately
refracted, there must be a change in the light wave’s (1) 0.75 (3) 2.3
(1) color (3) period (2) 1.3 (4) 4.0
(2) frequency (4) speed
11 The diagram below shows a ray of light passing
2 The speed of light in a piece of plastic is 2.00 from medium X into air.
×108 meters per second. What is the absolute index
of refraction of this plastic?
(1) 1.00 (3) 1.33
(2) 0.670 (4) 1.501

3 An electromagnetic wave traveling through a

vacuum has a wavelength of 1.5 ×10–1 meter.
What is the period of this electromagnetic wave?
(1) 5.0 ×10–10 s (3) 4.5 ×107 s
(2) 1.5 ×10 s
–1
(4) 2.0 ×109 s

4 A ray of light (f = 5.09 ×1014 Hz) traveling in air

strikes a block of sodium chloride at an angle of
incidence of 30°. What is the angle of refraction for What is the absolute index of refraction of medium
the light ray in the sodium chloride? X?
(1) 19° (3) 40° (1) 0.500 (3) 1.73
(2) 25° (4) 49° (2) 2.00 (4) 0.577

5 The speed of a ray of light traveling through a
substance having an absolute index of refraction of
1.1 is
(1) 1.1 ×108 m/s (3) 3.0 ×108 m/s
(2) 2.7 ×10 m/s
8
(4) 3.3 ×108 m/s
6 Which quantity is equivalent to the product of the
absolute index of refraction of water and the speed
of light in water?
(1) wavelength of light in a vacuum
(2) frequency of light in water
(3) sine of the angle of incidence
(4) speed of light in a vacuum
12 What occurs when light passes from water into
flint glass?
(1) Its speed decreases, its wavelength becomes
shorter, and its frequency remains the same.
(2) Its speed decreases, its wavelength becomes
shorter, and its frequency increases.
(3) Its speed increases, its wavelength becomes
longer, and its frequency remains the same.
(4) Its speed increases, its wavelength becomes
longer, and its frequency decreases.
13 The diagram below shows straight wave fronts
passing through an opening in a barrier.

7 Radio waves and gamma rays traveling in space

have the same
(1) frequency (3) period
(2) wavelength (4) speed

8 The spreading of a wave into the region behind an

obstruction is called
(1) diffraction (3) reflection
(2) absorption (4) refraction

9 A beam of light travels through medium X with a This wave phenomenon is called
speed of 1.80 ×108 meters per second. (1) reflection (3) polarizaton
Calculate the absolute index of refraction of (2) refraction (4) diffraction
medium X. [Show all work, including the equation
and substitution with units.] 14 The speed of light in a material is 2.50 ×108
meters per second. What is the absolute index of
10 The speed of light (f = 5.09 ×1014 Hz) in a refraction of the material?
transparent material is 0.75 times its speed in air. (1) 1.20 (3) 7.50
(2) 2.50 (4) 0.833
 incidence of 30°. What is the angle of refraction for
15 The diagram below shows parallel rays of light the light ray in the sodium chloride?
incident on an irregular surface. (1) 19° (3) 40°
(2) 25° (4) 49°

22 The speed of a ray of light traveling through a

substance having an absolute index of refraction of
1.1 is
(1) 1.1 ×108 m/s (3) 3.0 ×108 m/s
(2) 2.7 ×10 m/s
8
(4) 3.3 ×108 m/s
Which phenomenon of light is illustrated by the
diagram? 23 Which phenomenon provides evidence that light
1 diffraction 3 regular reflection has a wave nature?
2 refraction 4 diffuse reflection (1) emission of light from an energy-level transition
in a hydrogen atom
16 What is the speed of light in a medium having an (2) diffraction of light passing through a narrow
absolute index of refraction of 2.3? opening
(1) 0.77 ×108 m/s (3) 1.5 ×108 m/s (3) absorption of light by a black sheet of paper
8
(2) 1.3 ×10 m/s (4) 2.3 ×108 m/s (4) reflection of light from a mirror
17 The diagram below shows a ray of light passing 24 Which diagram best represents the path taken by
through two media. a ray of monochromatic light as it passes from air
through the materials shown?

When the wave travels from medium A into

medium B, its speed
1 decreases
2 increases
3 remains the same

18 Experiments performed with light indicate that

light exhibits 25 What is the speed of a ray of light (f = 5.09 ×1014
1 particle properties, only hertz) traveling through a block of sodium chloride?
2 wave properties, only (1) 1.54 ×108 m/s (3) 3.00 ×108 m/s
3 both particle and wave properties 8
(2) 1.95 ×10 m/s (4) 4.62 ×108 m/s
4 neither particle nor wave properties
26 Which phenomenon occurs when an object
19 What is the energy of a quantum of light having absorbs wave energy that matches the object’s
a frequency of 6.0 ×1014 hertz? natural frequency?
(1) 1.6 ×10–19 J (3) 3.0 ×108 J (1) reflection (3) resonance
(2) 4.0 ×10 J
–19
(4) 5.0 ×10–7 J (2) diffraction (4) interference

20 The speed of light in a piece of plastic is 2.00 27 A ray of monochromatic light (f = 5.09 ×1014
×108 meters per second. What is the absolute index hertz) in air is incident at an angle of 30° on a
of refraction of this plastic? boundary with corn oil. What is the angle of
(1) 1.00 (3) 1.33 refraction, to the nearest degree, for this light ray in
(2) 0.670 (4) 1.50 the corn oil?
(1) 6° (3) 30°
21 A ray of light (f = 5.09 ×1014 Hz) traveling in air (2) 20° (4) 47°
strikes a block of sodium chloride at an angle of
28 Which ray diagram best represents the X at an angle of incidence of 55°, as shown. The
phenomenon of refraction? absolute index of refraction of material X is 1.66.

1 Identify a substance of which material X may be

composed.

2 Determine the speed of this ray of light in

29 A ray of light (f = 5.09 ×1014 Hz) traveling in air
is incident at an angle of 40° on an air-crown glass
interface as shown below.
material X.
3 Calculate the angle of refraction of the ray of light
in material X. [Show all work, including the
equation and substitution with units.]

4 On the above diagram, use a straightedge and

protractor to draw the refracted ray of light in
material X.

C.A ray of monochromatic light of frequency

5.09 ×1014 hertz is traveling from water into
medium X. The angle of incidence in water is
45° and the angle of refraction in medium X is 29°,
What is the angle of refraction for this light ray? as shown.
(1) 25° (3) 40°
(2) 37° (4) 78°

30 The speed of light in a piece of plastic is 2.00

×108 meters per second. What is the absolute index
of refraction of this plastic?
(1) 1.00 (3) 1.33
(2) 0.670 (4) 1.50

ANALYTICAL PROBLEMS
A. Base your answers to questions 1 and 2 on the
information below.
A ray of monochromatic light (f = 5.09 × 1014 Hz)
passes from air into Lucite at an angle of incidence
of 30.˚.

1 Calculate the angle of refraction in the Lucite.

[Show all work, including the equation and
substitution with units.]
2 Using a protractor and straightedge draw the
refracted ray in the Lucite.
1 Calculate the absolute index of refraction of
medium X. [Show all work, including the equation
and substitution with units.]
2 Medium X is most likely what material?

B.A ray of light (f = 5.09 ×1014 Hz) is incident on

the boundary between air and an unknown material D. Base your answers to questions 1 through 3 on
the information and diagram below.
A ray of light passes from air into a block of
transparent material X as shown in the diagram
below.
1 Measure the angles of incidence and refraction to
the nearest degree for this light ray at the air into
material X boundary.
2 Calculate the absolute index of refraction of
material X. [Show all work, including the equation
and substitution with units.]
3 The refracted light ray is reflected from the
material X–air boundary at point P. Using a
protractor and straightedge, on the above diagram,
draw the reflected ray from point P.
E. Base your answers to questions 1 through 3 on
the diagram below which shows a ray of
monochromatic light (f = 5.09 ×1014 hertz) passing
through a flint glass prism.
1 Calculate the angle of refraction (in degrees) of
the light ray as it enters the air from the flint glass
prism.
[Show all calculations, including the equation and
substitution with units.]
2 Using a protractor and a straightedge construct
the refracted light ray in the air on the above
diagram.
3 What is the speed of the light ray in flint glass?
(1) 5.53 ×10–9 m/s (3) 3.00 ×108 m/s
8
(2) 1.81 ×10 m/s (4) 4.98 ×108 m/s
F.A ray of monochromatic light having a frequency
of 5.09 ×1014 hertz is incident on an interface of air
and corn oil at an angle of 35° as shown. The ray is
transmitted through parallel layers of corn oil and
glycerol and is then reflected from the surface of a
plane mirror, located below and parallel to the
glycerol layer. The ray then emerges from the corn
oil back into the air at point P.
1 Calculate the angle of refraction of the light ray as
it enters the corn oil from air. [Show all work,
including the equation and the substitution with
units.]
2 Explain why the ray does not bend at the corn oil-
glycerol interface.
3 On the above diagram, use a protractor and
straightedge to construct the refracted ray
representing the light emerging at point P into air.
G. Base your answers to questions 1 through 4 on
the diagram below, which shows a light ray (f =
5.09 ×1014 Hz) in air, incident on a boundary with
fused quartz. At the boundary, part of the light is
refracted and part of the light is reflected.
1 Using a protractor, measure the angle of incidence
of the light ray at the air-fused quartz boundary.

2 Calculate the angle of refraction of the incident

light ray. [Show all work, including the equation
and substitution with units.]

3 Using a protractor and straightedge construct the

refracted light ray in the fused quartz on the above
diagram.

4 Using a protractor and straightedge construct the

reflected light ray on above the diagram.