Submodule 1: Light, Reflection, and Refraction: Objective 4
Steve Beeson, Arizona State University
What happens if we shine the laser on the water surface, not from above, but from below the surface?
If you have no idea what we mean by "laser on the water surface" go back to Objective 3, the Refraction Page.
Note the laser just above the "N" in this sentence.
In the image above, we can see that some of the laser beam is refracted out of the water and some is reflected back to the bottom of the tank.
This "beam splitting" phenomenon often occurs at the interface of two different materials, such as air and water.
What do you think would happen if we change the angle at which the laser hits the lower surface of the water?
What do you think would happen if we change the angle that the laser beam hits the lower surface of the water so that the beam is nearly parallel to the water surface, as shown below.
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Objective 1
Objective 2Objective 3 Objective 4