Snell's Law?

Question

I am getting frustrated with this problem. It's simple and I can not seem to find out what I am doing wrong. I am using Snell's Law and keep getting the answer 16.2 and it's wrong please explain how to obtain the correct answer. Thanks!

A ray of light impinges from air onto a block of ice (n = 1.309) at a 58.0° angle of incidence. Assuming that this angle remains the same, find the difference theta2, ice -theta 2, water in the angles of refraction when the ice turns to water (n = 1.333).

Could you give me an answer so I can see what i did wrong and work backwards.

Answer 1

Let me see, let's apply the snell law, for both cases, fot the ice and for the water :

n(wind) = 1

n(ice) = 1.309

n(water) = 1.333

1*sin(58) = 1.309sin(theta)

sin(theta) = 0.64

theta = 40.3º

for the water :

1*sin(58) = 1.333*sin(theta2)

theta2 = 39.5

the difference = 40.3 - 39.5 = 0.8º

Well, the incidence angle is the same for water and ice. That's what I understood.

Hope that might help you

Answer 2

so you solve Snell's law and the refraction angle is the arc sine of (n times the sin of 58 degrees).

Do it for the two n's for ice and water and take the difference.