Answer:
13.6 cm
Explanation:
From Snell's law:
n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂
In the air, n₁ = 1, and light from the horizon forms a 90° angle with the vertical, so sin θ₁ = sin 90° = 1.
Given n₂ = 4/3:
1 = 4/3 sin θ
sin θ = 3/4
If x is the radius of the circle, then sin θ is:
sin θ = x / √(x² + 12²)
sin θ = x / √(x² + 144)
Substituting:
3/4 = x / √(x² + 144)
9/16 = x² / (x² + 144)
9/16 x² + 81 = x²
81 = 7/16 x²
x ≈ 13.6
