MHT CET202618 April 2026Evening ShiftPhysicsWave OpticsActual
A plane wavefront of width x , is incident on an air-water interface and the corresponding refracted wavefront has a width y as shown in figure. The refreactive index of air with respect to water in terms of distances w and z is
Options
- Aw z
- Bz w
- Cw z
- Dz w
Correct answer
A. w z
Step-by-step solution
Let the length of the interface between the incident and refracted wavefronts be L . From the geometry of the given figure, the angle of incidence i is the angle between the incident wavefront and the interface. Similarly, the angle of refraction r is the angle between the refracted wavefront and the interface. In the right-angled triangle in air, we have: i = z L In the right-angled triangle in water, we have: r = w L According to Snell's law: _a i = _w r Substituting the values of i and r : _a ( z L ) = _w ( w L