To solve this, we can use Snell's Law of refraction, which relates the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction when light passes from one medium to another. Snell's Law is given by:

$n_1 \sin(\theta_1) = n_2 \sin(\theta_2)$

Where:

• $n_1$ is the refractive index of the first medium (air in this case, which has a refractive index of approximately $n_1 = 1.0$),
• $n_2$ is the refractive index of the second medium (which is given as $n_2 = 1.12$),
• $\theta_1$ is the angle of incidence (which is $48^\circ$),
• $\theta_2$ is the angle of refraction, which we need to find.

Step-by-step calculation:

1. Rearrange Snell's Law to solve for $\theta_2$: $\sin(\theta_2) = \frac{n_1 \sin(\theta_1)}{n_2}$

2. Plug in the known values: $\sin(\theta_2) = \frac{1.0 \cdot \sin(48^\circ)}{1.12}$

3. Calculate the sine of $48^\circ$: $\sin(48^\circ) \approx 0.7431$

4. Substitute the sine value: $\sin(\theta_2) = \frac{0.7431}{1.12} \approx 0.6634$

5. Now, solve for $\theta_2$: $\theta_2 = \sin^{-1}(0.6634) \approx 41.7^\circ$

So, the angle of refraction is approximately 41.7°.

Would you like any more details on this? Or have other questions about light and refraction?

5 Related Questions:

1. How does the refractive index affect the speed of light in a medium?
2. What happens to the angle of refraction if the second medium has a higher refractive index than the first?
3. How do you derive Snell's Law from the principles of wave optics?
4. How does refraction work when light passes from water (refractive index = 1.33) into air?
5. What is total internal reflection, and how does it relate to the angle of incidence?

Tip:

The refractive index of a material is a measure of how much light slows down when passing through that material compared to its speed in a vacuum. The greater the refractive index, the slower the light travels.