A monochromatic beam of light passes obliquely from air into water
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Light — Reflection and Refraction · Light — Reflection and Refraction
Problem
A monochromatic beam of light passes obliquely from air into water. Answer the following questions.
(i) Define optical density of a medium.
(ii) Explain why the frequency of light does not change during refraction at a plane surface.
(iii) The wavelength of the beam is observed to decrease as it enters water. Explain qualitatively how this affects the speed of light in water and what this reveals about the comparative optical densities of air and water.