Question

Vertical ray of light strikes the horizontal surface of some water. What is the angle of refraction?
A. \[{\text{45}}^\circ \]
B. \[{\text{180}}^\circ \]
C. \[{\text{0}}^\circ \]
D. \[{\text{90}}^\circ \]

Answer 1

Hint: In the question we are asked about the behavior of light ray when it is striked on the horizontal surface of the water and we are also asked about the angle of refraction we have to analyze the factor which will tell us do the ray of light bends or not and what angle it makes with the normal.

Complete answer:
When a light ray passes through two separate media the change in the direction of the ray of light is known as refraction. The light ray which strikes the surface is called incident ray and when the incident ray moves into the surface and it refracted hence it becomes the refracted ray.

The angle which is formed between the normal and the incident ray is called angle of incident and the angle formed between normal and the refracted ray is called angle of refraction. When a ray of light falls vertically on a horizontal surface of water the ray of light pass straight through which the normal ray, incident ray and refracted all comes in the same which concludes that the angle of refraction is \[{\text{0}}^\circ \].

Hence, the correct answer is option C.

Note: Many students may get confuse that vertical light only makes 0 degree in the case of Rarer to denser medium but it also makes 0 degree in the case of denser to rarer medium this same thing is shown in the diagram above light moves from air to water then from water to air again.