[short_answer] A light ray travels obliquely from glass (refractive index 1.52) into water (refractive index…

Question

[short_answer] A light ray travels obliquely from glass (refractive index 1.52) into water (refractive index 1.33). In which direction does the ray bend at the interface — towards the normal or away from it? Justify your answer.

Accepted Answer

## Model Answer The ray bends **away from the normal**. Glass has a refractive index of 1.52 and water has a refractive index of 1.33. Since glass has a higher refractive index, it is optically **denser**; water is optically **rarer**. The light ray is therefore travelling from a denser medium to a rarer medium. As stated in the textbook: *"When light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium, it speeds up and bends away from the normal."* Hence, at the glass-water interface, the refracted ray bends away from the normal. *Source: Chapter 9, Section 9.3.2 — The Refractive Index* --- ## Explanation - The key rule to remember: **denser → rarer = bends away from normal; rarer → denser = bends towards normal**. - Identify which medium is denser by comparing refractive indices — higher refractive index = optically denser. - Examiners expect: (1) correct direction stated upfront, (2) identification of glass as denser and water as rarer, (3) the rule applied as justification. All three e…

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