What law can be used to calculate the angle of refraction within a metal for both longitudinal and shear waves?

What law can be used to calculate the angle of refraction within a metal for both longitudinal and shear waves?

• A. Poisson's ratio law
• B. Snell's law
• C. Fresnel's field law
• D. Charles' law

Answer: (B)

Refraction at a boundary is governed by Snell's law, which ties the angle of incidence to the angle of refraction through the wave speeds in the two media. In a metal, both longitudinal (P) waves and shear (S) waves have their own speeds, so Snell's law can be applied separately for each mode: sin(theta_incident) divided by the incident speed equals sin(theta_refracted) divided by the refracted speed for that same mode. By knowing which wave type is incident and the speeds of that type in the surrounding medium and in the metal, you can calculate the refracted angle inside the metal for that mode. The other options describe unrelated physical laws or material properties and do not govern how wave directions bend at an interface.

Refraction at a boundary is governed by Snell's law, which ties the angle of incidence to the angle of refraction through the wave speeds in the two media. In a metal, both longitudinal (P) waves and shear (S) waves have their own speeds, so Snell's law can be applied separately for each mode: sin(theta_incident) divided by the incident speed equals sin(theta_refracted) divided by the refracted speed for that same mode. By knowing which wave type is incident and the speeds of that type in the surrounding medium and in the metal, you can calculate the refracted angle inside the metal for that mode. The other options describe unrelated physical laws or material properties and do not govern how wave directions bend at an interface.