When Does Light Refract in Different Materials?

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AI Thread Summary
Light will refract when transitioning between materials with different refractive indices. In the scenarios presented, light will refract when traveling from air into a diamond at an angle of 30° and from air into a glass of iced tea at an angle of 25°, as both involve a change in medium. Light will not refract when traveling from water into ice along the normal or when striking a metal surface, as metals typically reflect light rather than refract it. Snell's Law can be applied to analyze the refraction in the relevant cases. Understanding the conditions for refraction is essential for solving these types of problems.
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Homework Statement



In which of the following situations will light from a laser be refracted?
a. traveling from air into a diamond at an angle of 30° to the normal
b. traveling from water into ice along the normal
c. upon striking a metal surface
d. traveling form air into a glass of iced tea at an angle of 25° to the normal



Homework Equations

N/A



The Attempt at a Solution

I am a bit confused on how to approach this problem. However, I am leaning into choice A and D.
 
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you should use snell's law, in the cases of a,b,d
 
Youre right though, in your leanings.
 
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