Question

An oil tanker has collided with a smaller vessel, resulting in an oil spill in a large, calm-water bay of the ocean. You are investigating the environmental effects of the accident and need to know the area of the spill. The tanker captain informs you that 26000 liters of oil have escaped and that the oil has an index of refraction of n = 1.1. The index of refraction of the ocean water is 1.33. From the deck of your ship you note that in the sunlight the oil slick appears to be blue. A spectroscope confirms that the dominant wavelength from the surface of the spill is 460 nm. Assuming a uniform thickness, what is the largest total area of the oil slick?

Answer 1