A ray of light is refracted through a sphere whose material has refractive index such…

PHYSICS · Subjective · AP · Physics 2: Algebra-based · Geometric Optics · Geometric Optics

Problem

A ray of light is refracted through a sphere whose material has refractive index μ\mu such that it passes through the extremities of two radii which make an angle β\beta with each other. Prove that if α\alpha is the deviation of the ray caused by its passage through the sphere, then cos⁡(β−α2)=μcos⁡(β2).\cos\left(\frac{\beta-\alpha}{2}\right)=\mu\cos\left(\frac{\beta}{2}\right).

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