1. What is Snell's Law?

Snell's Law describes the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction when light passes through different media. It's fundamental in optics and helps determine the refractive index of materials.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Snell's Law:

Where:

• \( n_1 \) — Refractive index of first medium (unitless)
• \( \theta_1 \) — Angle of incidence (degrees)
• \( n_2 \) — Refractive index of second medium (unitless)
• \( \theta_2 \) — Angle of refraction (degrees)

Explanation: The law states that the ratio of the sines of the angles of incidence and refraction is equal to the ratio of the refractive indices of the two media.

3. Importance of Refractive Index Calculation

Details: Calculating refractive index is crucial for designing optical systems, understanding light behavior in different materials, and applications in lenses, prisms, and fiber optics.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter known refractive index (n1), angle of incidence (θ1), and angle of refraction (θ2) in degrees. All values must be positive and angles between 0-90 degrees.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the range of typical refractive indices?
A: Most materials have refractive indices between 1.0 (vacuum) and 2.4 (diamond), with common values around 1.3-1.7.

Q2: Why do we convert angles from degrees to radians?
A: Trigonometric functions in programming languages typically use radians, so conversion is necessary for accurate calculations.

Q3: What happens at critical angle?
A: When light passes from higher to lower refractive index medium, beyond the critical angle, total internal reflection occurs.

Q4: Can this calculator handle complex refractive indices?
A: This calculator handles real refractive indices. Complex refractive indices (with imaginary components) are used for absorbing materials.

Q5: How accurate is this calculation?
A: The calculation is mathematically exact for ideal conditions, but real-world measurements may have experimental errors.