# Math Help - Refraction

1. ## Refraction

A ray of light traveling in air strikes the surface of a block of clear ice at an angle of 40.0 degrees with the normal. Part of the light is reflected, and part is refracted. Find the angle between the reflected and refracted light.

Okay, I drew a picture, would it be something like this?

This problem might not even really need this picture, but would the answer be 90 degrees? I'm not sure about this, can someone please confirm it? Or if I'm wrong correct me?

2. Originally Posted by iEricKim
A ray of light traveling in air strikes the surface of a block of clear ice at an angle of 40.0 degrees with the normal. Part of the light is reflected, and part is refracted. Find the angle between the reflected and refracted light.

Okay, I drew a picture, would it be something like this?

This problem might not even really need this picture, but would the answer be 90 degrees? I'm not sure about this, can someone please confirm it? Or if I'm wrong correct me?
Rather than the computations, I would focus on the idea. You should have used Snell's Law to compute $\theta _r$ and use laws of reflection to know that $\theta_i$ is the reflected angle. Then from the figure, $180 - \theta _r - \theta _i$ is the angle between the reflected and refracted light.

3. Originally Posted by Isomorphism
Rather than the computations, I would focus on the idea. You should have used Snell's Law to compute $\theta _r$ and use laws of reflection to know that $\theta_i$ is the reflected angle. Then from the figure, $180 - \theta _r - \theta _i$ is the angle between the reflected and refracted light.