In: Physics
As you may have learned when studying the properties of thermal energy, building contractors often install double-glazed windows to prevent thermal energy (\"heat\") from entering/exiting the building. Although effective as insulators, such windows present interesting optical effects. In the figure, a double-glazed window comprises two identical panes of glass (ng = 1.40) separated by an air gap. If the light encounters the glass at an angle of 40.00
Note that from Snell's law,
n1sin(t1) = n2sin(t2)
where
n1 = index of refraction of first medium =
1
t1 = angle of incidence = 40 degrees
n2 = index of refraction of second medium =
1.4
t2 = angle of refraction
Thus,
t2 = 27.33124066 degrees
Thus, the total shift is
x = 2 * 42.0 mm / sin (27.331) * [sin (40 - 27.331)]
x = 8.46 mm [ANSWER]