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Waves-Refraction
1. In which way does blue light change as it travels 5. A change in the speed of a wave as it enters a new
from diamond into crown glass? medium produces a change in
1. Its frequency decreases. 1. frequency
2. Its frequency increases. 2. period
3. Its speed decreases. 3. wavelength
4. Its speed increases. 4. phase

6. The diagram below represents a ray of monochro-

Base your answers to questions 2 through 4 on the infor- matic light (f=5.09 × 1014 Hz) passing from medium
mation and diagram below. X (n=1.46) into fused quartz (n=1.46).

A monochromatic light ray (f=5.09 × 1014 Hz) traveling

in air is incident on the surface of a rectangular block of
Lucite (n=1.50).

Which path will the ray follow in the quartz?

1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D

7. A straight glass rod appears to bend when placed in

2. Measure the angle of incidence for the light ray to the a beaker of water, as shown in the diagram below.
nearest degree.

3. Calculate the angle of refraction of the light ray when

it enters the Lucite block. {Show all work, including
the equation and substitution with units.]

4. What is the angle of refraction of the light ray as it What is the best explanation for this phenomenon?
emerges from the Lucite block back into the air? 1. The water is warmer than the air.
2. Light travels faster in water than in air.
3. Light is reflected at the air-water interface.
4. Light is refracted as it crosses the air-water
interface.
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Base your answers to questions 8 through 10 on the information and diagram below.

A ray of monochromatic light having a frequency of 5.09 × 1014 hertz is incident on an interface of air and corn oil
(n=1.47) at an angle of 35° as shown. The ray is transmitted through parallel layers of corn oil and glycerol (n=1.47)
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.

8. 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.

9. Explain why the ray does not bend at the corn oil-glycerol interface.

10. On the diagram, use a protractor and straightedge to construct the refracted ray representing the light emerging
at point P into air.

11. Which diagram best represents the behavior of a ray of monochromatic light in air incident on a block of crown
glass (n=1.52)?

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Base your answers to questions 12 through 14 on the information below.

A ray of monochromatic light (f= 5.09 × 1014 Hz) passes through air and a rectangular transparent block, as shown in
the diagram below.

12. Using a protractor, determine the angle of incidence of the light ray as it enters the transparent block from air.

13. Calculate the absolute index of refraction for the medium of the transparent block. [Show all work, including
the equation and substitution with units.]

14. Calculate the speed of the light ray in the transparent block. [Show all work, including the equation and substi-
tution with units.]

15. A wave generator having a constant frequency produces parallel wave fronts in a tank of water of two different
depths. The diagram below represents the wave fronts in the deep water.

As the wave travels from the deep water into

the shallow water, the speed of the waves
decreases. On the diagram at right, use a
straightedge to draw at least three lines to
represent the wave fronts, with appropriate
spacing, in the shallow water.

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16. A laser beam is directed at the surface of a smooth, calm pond as represented in the diagram below.

Which organisms could be illuminated by the laser light?

1. the bird and the fish
2. the bird and the seaweed
3. the crab and the seaweed
4. the crab and the fish

Base your answers to questions 17 through 19 on the information and diagram below.

A ray of light (f= 5.09 × 1014 Hz) is incident on the boundary between air and an unknown material X at an angle of
incidence of 55°, as shown. The absolute index of refraction of material X is 1.66.

17. Determine the speed of this ray of light in material X.

18. Calculate the angle of refraction of the ray of light in material X.

19. On the diagram above, use a straightedge and protractor to draw the refracted ray of light in material X.

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20. A ray of monochromatic light (f= 5.09 × 1014 Hz) Base your answers to questions 24 through 26 on the
passes from water through flint glass (n=1.66) and information and diagram below.
into medium X, as shown below.
A ray of light passes from air into a block of transparent
material X as shown in the diagram below.

The absolute index of refraction of medium X is

1. less than 1.33
2. greater than 1.33 and less than 1.52
3. greater than 1.52 and less than 1.66
4. equal to 1.66

21. A beam of light travels through medium X with a

speed of 1.80 × 108 meters per second. Calculate the
absolute index of refraction of medium X. [Show all
work, including the equation and substitution with
units.]
24. Measure the angles of incidence and refraction to
the nearest degree for this light ray at the air into
material X boundary.

θi=
θr=
22. What happens to the speed and frequency of a light
ray when it passes from air into water? 25. Calculate the absolute index of refraction of mate-
1. The speed decreases and the frequency increases. rial X. [Show all work, including the equation and
2. The speed decreases and the frequency remains substitution with units.]
the same.
3. The speed increases and the frequency increases.
4. The speed increases and the frequency remains
the same.

23. A ray of monochromatic light (f= 5.09 × 1014 Hz) in 26. The refracted light ray is reflected from the material
air is incident at an angle of 30° on a boundary with X–air boundary at point P. Using a protractor and
corn oil (n=1.47). What is the angle of refraction, to straightedge, on the diagram in your answer booklet,
the nearest degree, for this light ray in the corn oil? draw the reflected ray from point P.
1. 6°
2. 20°
3. 30° 27. If the speed of a wave doubles as it passes from shal-
4. 47° low water into deeper water, its wavelength will be
1. unchanged
2. doubled
3. halved
4. quadrupled

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Base your answers to questions 28 and 29 on the information and diagram below.

A ray of monochromatic light (f= 5.09 × 1014 Hz) passes from

air into Lucite at an angle of incidence of 30°.

28. Calculate the angle of refraction in the Lucite. [Show all

work, including the equation and substitution with units.]

29. Using a protractor and straightedge, on the diagram draw

the refracted ray in the Lucite.

30. Which ray diagram best represents the phenomenon of refraction?

31. The diagram at right represents straight

wave fronts passing from deep water
into shallow water, with a change in
speed and direction.

Which phenomenon is illustrated in the

diagram?
1. reflection
2. refraction
3. diffraction
4. interference

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Base your answers to questions 32 through 34 on the 36. The speed of light in a piece of plastic is 2.00 × 108
information and diagram below. meters per second. What is the absolute index of
refraction of this plastic?
A light ray with a frequency of 5.09 × 1014 hertz travel- 1. 1.00
ing in air is incident at an angle of 40° on an air-water 2. 0.67
interface as shown. At the interface, part of the ray is 3. 1.33
refracted as it enters the water and part of the ray is 4. 1.50
reflected from the interface.
37. A ray of monochromatic light is incident on an air-
sodium chloride (n=1.54) boundary as shown in the
diagram below. At the boundary, part of the ray is
reflected back into the air and part is refracted as it
enters the sodium chloride.

Compared to the ray’s angle of refraction in the

32. Calculate the angle of refraction of the light ray as sodium chloride, the ray’s angle of reflection in the
it enters the water. [Show all work, including the air is
equation and substitution with units.] 1. smaller
2. larger
3. the same

38. The diagram below shows a ray of light passing from

33. On the diagram above, using a protractor and air into glass at an angle of incidence of 0°.
straightedge, draw the refracted ray. Label this ray
“Refracted ray.”

34. On the diagram above, using a protractor and

straightedge, draw the reflected ray. Label this ray
“Reflected ray.”

35. An electromagnetic wave of wavelength 5.89 × 10-7

meter traveling through air is incident on an inter-
face with corn oil (n=1.47). Calculate the wave-
length of the EM wave in corn oil. Which statement best describes the speed and direc-
tion of the light ray as it passes into the glass?
1. Only speed changes.
2. Only direction changes.
3. Both speed and direction change.
4. Neither speed nor direction changes.
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Base your answers to questions 39 through 42 on the diagram below, which represents a ray of monochromatic light
(5.09 × 1014 Hz) in air incident on flint glass (n=1.66).

39. Determine the angle of incidence of the light ray in air.

40. Calculate the angle of refraction of the light ray in the flint glass. [Show all work, including the equation and
substitution with units.]

41. Using a protractor and straightedge, draw the refracted ray on the diagram.

42. What happens to the light from the incident ray that is not refracted or absorbed?

43. The diagram below represents a wave. 44. What is the wavelength of a light ray with fre-
quency 5.09 × 1014 hertz as it travels through Lucite
(n=1.50)?
1. 3.93 × 10-7 m
2. 5.89 × 10-7 m
3. 3.39 × 1014 m
4. 7.64 × 1014 m

45. The speed of light (f=5.09 × 1014 Hz) in a trans-

What is the speed of the wave if its frequency is 8.0
parent material is 0.75 times its speed in air. The
hertz?
absolute index of refraction of the material is ap-
1. 48 m/s
proximately
2. 16 m/s
1. 0.75
3. 3.2 m/s
2. 1.3
4. 1.6 m/s
3. 2.3
4. 4.0

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46. A light ray traveling in air enters a second medium 50. What is the speed of light (f=5.09 × 1014 Hz) in flint
and its speed slows to 1.71 × 108 meters per sec- glass?
ond. What is the absolute index of refraction of the 1. 1.81 × 108 m/s
second medium? 2. 1.97 × 108 m/s
1. 1.00 3. 3.00 × 108 m/s
2. 0.570 4. 4.98 × 108 m/s
3. 1.75
4. 1.94 51. What happens to the frequency and the speed of an
electromagnetic wave as it passes from air into glass?
Base your answers to questions 47 and 48 on the dia- 1. The frequency decreases and the speed increases.
gram below, which represents a light ray traveling from 2. The frequency increases and the speed decreases.
air to Lucite (n=1.50) to medium Y and back into air. 3. The frequency remains the same and the speed
increases.
4. The frequency remains the same and the speed
decreases.

52. When a light wave enters a new medium and is

refracted, there must be a change in the light wave’s
1. color
2. frequency
3. period
4. speed

53. As a sound wave passes from water, where the speed

is 1.49 × 103 meters per second, into air, the wave’s
speed
1. decreases and its frequency remains the same
2. increases and its frequency remains the same
3. remains the same and its frequency decreases
47. The sine of angle θx is 4. remains the same and its frequency increases
1. 0.333
2. 0.500 54. In a certain material, a beam of monochromatic light
3. 0.707 (f=5.09 × 1014 Hz) has a speed of 2.25 × 108 meters
4. 0.886 per second. The material could be
1. crown glass (n=1.52)
48. Light travels slowest in 2. flint glass (n=1.66)
1. air, only 3. glycerol (n=1.47)
2. Lucite, only 4. water (n=1.33)
3. medium Y, only
4. air, Lucite, and medium Y 55. A ray of monochromatic light with frequency 5.09 ×
1014 Hz is transmitted through four different media:
corn oil, ethyl alcohol, flint glass, and water. Rank
49. Which quantity is equivalent to the product of the the four media from the one through which the light
absolute index of refraction of water and the speed of travels at the slowest speed to the one through which
light in water? light travels at the fastest speed.
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

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Base your answers to questions 56 through 59 on the information below.

A light ray (f=5.09 × 1014 Hz) is refracted as it travels from water into flint
glass. The path of the light ray in the flint glass is shown in the diagram.

56. Using a protractor, measure the angle of refraction of the light ray in the
flint glass.

57. Calculate the angle of incidence for the light ray in water. [Show all
work, including the equation and substitution with units.]

58. Using a protractor and straight edge, on the diagram draw the path of
the incident light ray in the water.

59. Identify one physical event, other than transmission or refraction, that
occurs as the light interacts with the water-flint glass boundary.

60. The wavelength of a wave doubles as it travels from 62. What is the speed of light (f=5.09×1014 Hz) in ethyl
medium A into medium B. Compared to the wave alcohol?
in medium A, the wave in medium B has 1. 4.53 × 10-9 m/s
1. half the speed 2. 2.43 × 102 m/s
2. twice the speed 3. 1.24 × 108 m/s
3. half the frequency 4. 2.21 × 108 m/s
4. twice the frequency

61. A ray of light (f=5.09×1014 Hz) travels through vari-

ous substances. Which graph best represents the
relationship between the absolute index of refraction
of these substances and the corresponding speed of
light in these substances?

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Base your answers to questions 63 through 66 on the 67. As a monochromatic light ray passes from air into
information below. water, two characteristics of the ray that will not
change are
A light ray (f=5.09 × 1014 Hz) traveling in water has an 1. wavelength and period
angle of incidence of 35° on a water-air interface. At the 2. frequency and period
interface, part of the ray is reflected from the interface 3. wavelength and speed
and part of the ray is refracted as it enters the air. 4. frequency and speed

63. What is the angle of reflection of the light ray at the 68. Which graph best represents the relationship
interface? between the absolute index of refraction and the
speed of light (f=5.09×1014 Hz) in various media?

64. On the diagram below, using a protractor and a

straightedge, draw the reflected ray.

69. When a ray of light traveling in water reaches a

boundary with air, part of the light ray is reflected
and part is refracted. Which ray diagram best rep-
resents the paths of the reflected and refracted rays?

65. Calculate the angle of refraction of the light ray as it

enters the air. [Show all work, including the equa-
tion and substitution with units.]

66. Identify one characteristic of this light ray that is the

same in both the water and the air.

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70. Which characteristic of a light wave must increase as
the light wave passes from glass into air?
1. amplitude
2. frequency
3. period
4. wavelength

71. A ray of yellow light (f = 5.09 × 1014 Hz) travels at a

speed of 2.04 × 108 meters per second in
1. ethyl alcohol
2. water
3. Lucite
4. glycerol

Base your answers to questions 72 and 73 on the infor-

mation and diagram below.

A ray of light (f=5.09 × 1014 Hz) traveling through a

block of an unknown material, passes at an angle of inci-
dence of 30° into air, as shown in the diagram below.

72. Use a protractor to determine the angle of refraction

of the light ray as it passes from the unknown mate-
rial into air.

73. Calculate the index of refraction of the unknown

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

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