Physics help! Thank you!?

Question

An underwater scuba diver sees the Sun at an apparent angle of 49.0° above the horizon. What is the actual elevation angle of the Sun above the horizon?

Answer 1

This problem is more complicated that it appears to be.

You have refraction between the air and the water.

Refraction between the water and the glass of his Pyrex glass mask.

Refraction between the glass of the mask and the air in front of his eyes.

Since we start with what the diver sees, we need to start from the inside of his mask and work toward the air above the surface of the water

SNELL'S LAW

n1 * sin(theta1) = n2 * sin(theta2)

1.000 * sin(49.0°) = 1.474 * sin(theta2) -- air to glass

1.474 * sin(theta2) = 1.333 * sin(theta3) -- glass to water

1.333 * sin(theta3) = 1.000 * sin(theta4) -- water to air above surface

THETA4 IS YOUR ANSWER!

n.b.; This problem assumes that the diver is wearing a flat plate mask and not a corrective lens mask!