A laser beam in air (index of refraction nair=1.00) strikes the surface of a rectangular slab of an optically transparent solid. The beam makes an angle of 35.0∘ with the normal to the surface; inside the slab the beam is observed to propagate at an angle of 22.0∘ to the same normal.
A manufacturer’s handbook lists the following candidate materials and their accepted indices of refraction at the laser’s wavelength:
• Crown glass 1.52
• Flint glass 1.62
• Fused quartz 1.46
• Lucite 1.49
(a) Calculate the index of refraction of the unknown solid.
(b) Determine the speed of light in the solid, expressing your answer in ms−1 to three significant figures.
(c) Using your result from part (b), identify which material from the manufacturer’s list best matches the slab. Justify your choice quantitatively.