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American System Physics

A Physics Toolkit

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Representing Motion

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Accelerated Motion

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Forces in One Dimension

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Displacement and Force in Two Dimensions

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Motion in Two Dimensions

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Gravitation

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Rotational Motion

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Momentum and Its Conservation

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Energy and Its Conservation

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Thermal Energy

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States of Matter

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Vibrations and Waves

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Sound

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Fundamentals of Light

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Reflection and Refraction

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Interference and Diffraction

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Electrostatics

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Electric Current and Circuits

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Magnetic Fields

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Electromagnetic Induction and Electromagnetism

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Quantum Theory and the Atom

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Solid-State Electronics

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Quiz

16.2 Refraction and Total Internal Reflection – Quiz

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Refraction and Total Internal Reflection American Physics quiz: free practice for American System Physics. Work through this Refraction and Total Internal Reflection American Physics quiz and get instant feedback on every answer. If you get stuck, review the 16.2 Refraction and Total Internal Reflection — Notes lesson. More practice: American System Physics — all units. Syllabus: OpenStax free science textbooks.

  • Questions count: 50
  • Passing grade: A-
  • Time limit:
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1.
Using the angles marked on the diagram (45° and 28°), what is the refractive index of the glass?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 1
1.61
1.51
0.664
0.801
2.
A ray enters a glass block as drawn. From the incidence and refraction angles labelled, calculate the refractive index.
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 2
1.71
0.662
1.51
0.610
3.
The diagram shows a ray inside glass (critical angle 41.1°) meeting the glass–air boundary at 35°. What happens next?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 3
It undergoes total internal reflection
It passes straight through without bending
It bends towards the normal
It refracts into the air, bending away from the normal
4.
Crown glass has a critical angle of 41.1°. Predict what the ray drawn in the diagram does when it reaches the glass–air surface.
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 4
It undergoes total internal reflection
It refracts into the air, bending away from the normal
It travels along the boundary
It refracts into the air without bending
5.
What is the refractive index of the plastic, from the graph?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 5
0.66
0.77
1.52
1.00
6.
The diagram shows a ray passing through a rectangular glass block. How does the emerging ray compare with the incident ray?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 6
It is perpendicular to the incident ray
It is bent towards the normal permanently
It is totally internally reflected
It is parallel to the incident ray but displaced sideways
7.
The diagram shows light travelling along an optical fibre. Why does the light stay inside the core?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 7
It strikes the walls at angles greater than the critical angle, so it is totally internally reflected
It is absorbed and re-emitted by the walls
The core is opaque
It is refracted out and back in at every bend
8.
Using the results in the table, what is the refractive index of the glass block (gradient of sin i against sin r)?
0.66
1.71
1.00
1.52
9.
Why is plotting sin i against sin r better than plotting i against r for the data in the table?
Snell's law predicts sin i ∝ sin r, so the graph should be a straight line through the origin with gradient n
i against r gives the critical angle directly
sin values are always larger
It removes the need for a protractor
10.
Using the table, which liquid has the highest refractive index?
B
A
C
All are equal
11.
Using the speeds given in the table, calculate n for medium X.
1.60
0.63
1.88
5.64
12.
The four trials in the table give a mean critical angle. Use it to calculate the refractive index of the semicircular block.
0.67
42.0
1.35
1.49
13.
Light passes from air into crown glass (n = 1.52) at an angle of incidence of 40°. What is the angle of refraction?
25.0 °
26.3 °
77.7 °
65.0 °
14.
A lifeguard's torch beam enters a still pool (n = 1.33) at 55° to the normal. At what angle to the normal does the beam travel underwater?
41.4 °
38.0 °
73.2 °
52.0 °
15.
A jeweller shines light onto a flat diamond face (n = 2.42) at 30° from the normal. Find the angle of refraction inside the diamond.
12.4 °
72.6 °
11.9 °
78.1 °
16.
A ray enters a transparent plastic from air with i = 50° and r = 30°. What is the refractive index of the plastic?
1.67
0.653
0.742
1.53
17.
In a class demo a laser enters an acrylic slab; the angles measured are 60° in air and 38° in the acrylic. Calculate the refractive index of the acrylic.
1.41
1.58
0.711
0.635
18.
What is the speed of light in a liquid of refractive index 1.33?
3.99 × 10⁸ m/s
2.26 × 10⁸ m/s
4.43 × 10⁻⁹ m/s
1.13 × 10⁸ m/s
19.
Light passes through a sample of cooking oil whose refractive index is 1.60. How fast does light travel in the oil?
4.80 × 10⁸ m/s
5.33 × 10⁻⁹ m/s
1.88 × 10⁸ m/s
9.38 × 10⁷ m/s
20.
What is the critical angle for a material of refractive index 1.45 surrounded by air?
63.7 °
46.4 °
62.1 °
43.6 °
21.
Designers of a light pipe choose a plastic with n = 1.70. Above what angle of incidence will light be totally internally reflected at the plastic–air surface?
36.0 °
49.9 °
54.0 °
52.9 °
22.
Diamond sparkles because light is easily trapped inside it. Calculate the critical angle at a diamond–air surface, given n = 2.42.
32.5 °
24.4 °
65.6 °
37.2 °
23.
The critical angle of a glass is measured as 42°. What is its refractive index?
2.14
0.669
1.49
1.40
24.
Light of wavelength 600 nm in air enters glass of refractive index 1.50. What is its wavelength in the glass?
900 nm
600 nm
267 nm
400 nm
25.
A glass plate (n = 1.52) lies on the bottom of a fish tank. Light in the water (n = 1.33) strikes it with i = 40°. What angle does the light make with the normal inside the glass?
34.2 °
47.3 °
35.0 °
45.0 °
26.
How long does light take to travel 0.20 m through water (n = 1.33)?
6.67 × 10⁻¹⁰ s
8.87 × 10⁻¹⁰ s
7.98 × 10⁷ s
5.01 × 10⁻¹⁰ s
27.
Rays change direction at boundaries. Which boundary is linked with the correct direction of bending?
Air into glass — away from the normal
Glass into air — towards the normal
Air into water — away from the normal
Water into air — away from the normal
28.
A data card lists refractive indices. Which material has the right value?
Diamond — 2.42
Water — 1.52
Air — 1.33
Crown glass — 2.42
29.
Each material has its own critical angle with air. Which material–angle match is right?
Diamond — 48.8°
Water — 48.8°
Crown glass — 24.4°
Water — 41.1°
30.
Refraction effects are used in technology. Which application is linked to the principle it relies on?
Rainbow — polarization
Endoscope — diffuse reflection
Endoscope — total internal reflection
Prism spectrum — total internal reflection only
31.
Formulas in this topic are easy to mix up. Which quantity is shown with its correct equation?
Refractive index — n = v/c
Snell's law — n₁ cos θ₁ = n₂ cos θ₂
Wavelength in medium — λ = nλ₀
Critical angle — sin c = 1/n
32.
The missing critical angle for diamond in the table is _____.
65.6°
41.1°
24.4°
2.42°
33.
Light enters glass along the normal (i = 0°). The angle of refraction is _____.
90°
42°
0°
19°
34.
The two conditions for TIR are: light travels from a denser to a less dense medium, and the angle of incidence is _____ the critical angle.
greater than
less than
equal to half
unrelated to
35.
In the diagram, ray R is bent most because violet light has the largest refractive index in glass. True or false?
Dr Dabour Hub Academy - figure 8
False, R is red
True
False, all rays bend equally
True only in water
36.
In the table, keeping the angle of incidence at 40° for every liquid makes it a fair test. True or false?
False, i should change for each liquid
True
False, i is the dependent variable
True only for liquid C
37.
Using the table, a ray inside crown glass hitting the surface at 45° undergoes total internal reflection. True or false?
False, it refracts out because 45° is less than 48.8°
False, TIR happens only in diamond
True only if outside is water
True
38.
The spread of the results in the table (41° to 43°) shows random error, so the critical angle should be quoted as about 42° ± 1°. True or false?
True
False, the spread is a systematic error
False, the result should be quoted as 41°
True only if trial 2 is repeated
39.
When light enters glass from air, its frequency decreases. True or false?
True
True only for violet light
False, the frequency increases
False, frequency stays the same; speed and wavelength decrease
40.
Total internal reflection can occur when light travels from air towards glass. True or false?
False, TIR needs light travelling from the denser to the less dense medium
True
True only above 42°
True only for red light
41.
Light bends towards the normal when it enters a medium where it travels more slowly. True or false?
False, it bends away from the normal
True
False, it does not bend
True only for angles above the critical angle
42.
A material with a higher refractive index has a smaller critical angle. True or false?
False, it has a larger critical angle
False, critical angle does not depend on n
True
True only for liquids
43.
Optical density is the same as mass density. True or false?
True
True only for gases
False, optical density is weight per volume
False, optical density describes how much a medium slows light
44.
A ray leaving a parallel-sided glass block is parallel to the ray that entered it. True or false?
True
False, it is bent towards the normal
False, it leaves at the critical angle
True only when i = 90°
45.
Diamond sparkles partly because its small critical angle (about 24°) causes much total internal reflection. True or false?
False, diamond has a critical angle of 90°
True
False, diamond sparkle is due to polarization
True only in blue light
46.
At the critical angle, the refracted ray travels along the boundary (r = 90°). True or false?
False, r = 0°
False, r = 45°
True
True only in water
47.
The refractive index of a medium can be less than 1. True or false?
True
True for water
True for air
False, n = c/v is always at least 1 because light is fastest in a vacuum
48.
Optical fibres carry light by refraction through the curved sides. True or false?
False, they rely on repeated total internal reflection
True
True only for plastic fibres
False, they use diffraction
49.
Violet light is refracted more than red light in glass. True or false?
False, red is refracted more
True
False, they refract equally
True only in a vacuum
50.
Light travelling from glass into water bends away from the normal. True or false?
False, it bends towards the normal
False, it does not bend
True
True only at the critical angle
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Part of Reflection and Refraction — see every lesson and quiz in this unit.
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