---
title: "A continuous ray of light passes through three transparent, immiscible liquids stacked in horizontal layers labeled Liquid 1, Liquid 2, and Liquid 3 from top to bottom. The angles that the light ray makes with the normal to the boundaries in each liquid are \\(\\theta_1\\), \\(\\theta_2\\), and \\(\\theta_3\\), respectively, where \\(\\theta_2 < \\theta_1 < \\theta_3\\). Which of the following correctly ranks the indices of refraction \\(n_1\\), \\(n_2\\), and \\(n_3\\) of the three liquids?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/116768/"
date_modified: "2026-08-04T06:09:35+00:00"
---

# A continuous ray of light passes through three transparent, immiscible liquids stacked in horizontal layers labeled Liquid 1, Liquid 2, and Liquid 3 from top to bottom. The angles that the light ray makes with the normal to the boundaries in each liquid are \(\theta_1\), \(\theta_2\), and \(\theta_3\), respectively, where \(\theta_2 < \theta_1 < \theta_3\). Which of the following correctly ranks the indices of refraction \(n_1\), \(n_2\), and \(n_3\) of the three liquids?

A continuous ray of light passes through three transparent, immiscible liquids stacked in horizontal layers labeled Liquid 1, Liquid 2, and Liquid 3 from top to bottom. The angles that the light ray makes with the normal to the boundaries in each liquid are \(\theta_1\), \(\theta_2\), and \(\theta_3\), respectively, where \(\theta_2 < \theta_1 < \theta_3\). Which of the following correctly ranks the indices of refraction \(n_1\), \(n_2\), and \(n_3\) of the three liquids?

![A diagram showing three horizontal layers of liquids stacked vertically: Liquid 1 at the top, Liquid 2 in the middle, and Liquid 3 at the bottom. A dashed vertical line extends down through all three layers representing the normal line. A light ray enters Liquid 1 from above traveling down and right, making angle theta_1 with the normal. At the first horizontal boundary, the ray enters Liquid 2 and bends closer to the normal, making a smaller angle theta_2. At the second horizontal boundary, the ray enters Liquid 3 and bends sharply away from the normal, making a larger angle theta_3. No other labels, lines, text, or axes appear.](https://nerd-notes.com/wp-content/uploads/ubq-frq-generated/stem-fig-1-1785823775-UpcxES.jpg)

- **A.** \(n_2 > n_1 > n_3\)
- **B.** \(n_3 > n_1 > n_2\)
- **C.** \(n_1 > n_2 > n_3\)
- **D.** \(n_3 > n_2 > n_1\)

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/116768/*