PHYSICS

PROJECT

By
D i v y a n s h u Gup t a
XII F
Delhi Public School, Ka ly an pu r
Board Roll n.
 TOTAL
INTERNAL
REFLECT ION
 C E RT I F I C AT E

Th is is hereby to certify that the

original a n d g e n u i n e investigation work
h a s b e e n carried out to investigate
about the subject matt er a n d the
related data collection and
investigation h a s b e e n completed
solely, sincerely a n d satisfactorily
by D i v y a n s h u G u p t a of c l a s s XII ,
Delhi Public School Kalyanpur ,
Kanpur , regarding his
project titled “ S E M I C O N D U C T O R S ” .
Te a c h e r ’ s S i g n a t u r e
ACKNOWLEDGEM
E NT
It would b e m y utmost pleas ure to ex p re s s my
sincere t ha n ks to m y Phy sics teacher Mr.
Vi v e k Gu pt a in providing a hel p ing hand
in this project. His v a l u a b l e g u i d a n c e , support
a n d supervision all through this project are
responsible for att aining its present form. I would
also like to thank m y parents a s they
e nco urag ed m e to put forward m y project.
 CONTENTS

I. Introduction
II. Optical description
III. Critical a n g l e
IV. Phase shift upon total internal
reflection
V. Total internal reflection in
diam o nd
VI. Applications of total internal
reflection
VII. E x a m p l e s in e v e r y d a y life

Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION

Total internal reflection is an optical

phenomeno n that h a p p e n s when a ray of light
strikes a m e d i u m boundary at a n a n g l e larger
than a particular critical a n g l e with respect to the
normal to the surface. If the refractive i n d ex is
lower on the other s i d e of the boundary a n d the
incident a n g l e is greater than the critical a n g l e , no
light c a n p a s s through a n d all of the light is
reflected. T h e critical a n g l e is the a n g l e of
i nc i de n c e ab o v e which the total internal
reflectance occurs.
When a light b e a m crosses a boundary between materials with
diff erent k i n d s of refractive ind ices, the light b e a m will b e partially
refracted at the boundary surface, a n d partially reflected. However, if the
a n g l e of i n c i de n c e is greater (i.e. the ray is closer to b e i n g parallel to the
boundary) than the critical a n g l e – the a n g l e of i nc i d e n c e at which
light is refracted s u c h that it travels along the boundary – then the light
will stop crossing the boundary altogether a n d instead b e totally
reflected b a c k internally. Thi s c a n only occur where light travels from
a m e d i u m with a higher [ n 1 = h i g h e r refractive i n d ex ] to one with a lower
refractive i n d ex [n2=lower refractive ind ex ]. For ex a m p l e , it will occur
when p a s s i n g from g l a s s to air, but not when p a s s i n g from air to g l a s s .
 OPTICAL DESCRIPTION

Total internal reflection c a n b e demonstrated

u s i n g a semi-circular block of g l a s s or plastic. A "ray
box" s h i n e s a narrow b e a m of light ( a "ray") onto the
g l a s s . T h e semi-circular s h a p e en su res that a ray
pointing towards the centre of the flat fac e will hit the
c ur ve d surface at a right a n g l e ; this will
prevent refractionat the air/glass
boundary of the cu r v ed surface. At the glass/air
boundary of the flat surface, what h a p p e n s will
d e p e n d on the angl e? Where is θ C the critical a n g l e
m e a s u re m e n t which is c a u s e d b y the s u n or a light
source ( m e a s u re d normal to the surface):
• If θ < θ C , the ray will split. S o m e of the ray will
reflect off the boundary, a n d s o m e will refract a s
it p a s s e s through. This is not total internal reflection.
• If θ > θ C , the entire ray reflects from the
boundary. None p a s s e s through. T hi s is
cal led total internal reflection.
Th i s p h y s i c a l property m a k e s optical fibres useful a n d prismatic
binoculars possible. It is also what g i v e s dia m o n d s their
distinctive sparkle, a s di am ond h a s a n u nu s ua l l y hi g h refractive i n d ex .
 CRITICAL ANGLE
T h e critical a n g l e is the a n g l e of i nc i de nc e a bo v e
which total internal reflection occurs. T h e a n g l e of
i nc i d en c e is m e a s u re d with respect to the normal at
the refractive boundary ( s e e d i a g r a m illustrating
Sne ll's law). Consider a light ray p a s s i n g from g l a s s
into air. T h e light e m a n a t i n g from the interface is
bent towards the g l a s s . When the incident a n g l e is
inc rea se d s u fi c i e n t l y , the transmitt ed a n g l e (in air)
rea c he s 9 0 de g ree s . It is at this point no light is
transmitt ed into air. T h e critical a n g l e is g i v e n b y
Sn e ll's law.
n1 sin θ i =n 2 sin θt

Rea rr a n gi ng Snel l ' s Law, we get i nc i de nce

n2
sin θ i = sin θt
n1

θi
To find the critical a n g l e , we find the v a l u e for
θ t =90 ° sin θ t =1
when a n d thus . T he resulting v a l u e
θc
of is eq u a l to the critical a n g l e .
θi
Now, we c a n solve for , a n d we get the equation
for the critical a n g l e :
θ c =θ i =sin
−1

( )
n2
n1
If the incident ray is precisely at the critical a n g l e ,
the refracted ray is tangent to the boundary at the
point of i nci denc e . If for ex a m p l e , visible light were
travelling through acrylic g l a s s (with a n i n d ex of
refraction of 1 . 5 0 ) into air (with a n i n d ex of refraction
of 1.00) , the calculation would g i v e the critical a n g l e
for light from acrylic into air, which is
1.0
( )
−1
θc =sin 0 =41.8
1.50
 PHASE S H I FT UPON
TOTAL INTERNAL
REFLEC TI ON
A lesser-known as p e c t of total internal reflection is
that the reflected light h a s a n a n g l e d ep end ent
p h a s e shift between the reflected a n d incident light.
Mathematically this m e a n s that the Fresnel reflection
c o e fi c i e n t b e c o m e s a c o m pl ex rather than a real
number. T hi s p h a s e shift is polarization de pe nde n t
a n d grows a s the i nc i de nce a n g l e d e via t es further
from the critical a n g l e toward g r a zi n g inci d ence .
T h e polarization de pe n de nt p h a s e shift is long known
a n d was u s e d b y Fresnel to d e s i g n the Fresnel rhomb
which allows transforming circular polarization to
linear polarization a n d v i c e ve r s a for a wide r a n g e of
wavel engths (colours), in contrast to the quarter
wa ve plate. T h e polarization de p en d en t p h a s e shift is
also the reason why T E a n d TM g u i d e d m o d e s h a v e
different dispersion relations.
 TOTAL
INTERNAL
REFLEC TI ON IN
DIAMOND
From g l a s s to air the critical a n g l e is about 42o but
it var ies from one m e d i u m to another. T h e
material that g i v e s the sma l le st critical a n g l e is
diamond. That is why they sp arkle so m u c h ! R a y s
of light c a n e a s i l y b e m a d e to 'bounce around
inside them' b y careful cutt ing of the stone a n d
the refraction at the surfaces splits the light into a
spectr um of colours!
Rel atively s p e a k i n g , the critical a n g l e 24.4o for the diamond-air
boundary is extrem ely sma ll. T hi s property of the
diamond-air boundary p l a y s a n important role in the brilliance
of a diam ond gemstone . H a v i n g a s m a l l critical a n g l e , light h a s the
t e n d e nc y to b e c o m e "trapped" in sid e of a dia mo nd once it enters. Most
r ay s approach the dia mo nd at a n g l e s of i nci de nce greater than the critical
a n g l e ( a s it is so sm a l l ) so a light ray will typically undergo TIR sev eral
times before finally refracting out of the diamond . T h i s g i v e s diam o nd
a te n d e nc y to sparkle. T h e eff ect c a n b e e n h a n c e d b y the cutting of
a dia mo nd g em s t o ne with a 'strategically' p l a n ne d s h a p e . T h e
d i a g r a m to the left depicts the total internal reflection within a
dia mo nd g em s to ne with a 'strategic' a n d a 'non-strategic' cut.
 APPLICATIONS OF
TOTAL INTERNAL
REFLEC TI ON

 Total internal reflection is the operating principle

of optical fibres, which are u s e d in endosc opes
a n d telecommunications.
 Total internal reflection is the operating principle
of automotive rain sensors, which control
automatic windscreen/windshield wipers.
 Another application of total internal reflection is
the spatial filtering of light.
 Prismatic binoculars u s e the principle of total
internal reflections to get a ver y clear i m a g e .
 Gonioscopy em p l o ys total internal reflection to
view the anatomical a n g l e formed between the
e y e ' s cornea a n d iris.
 Optical fingerprinting d e v i c e s u s e frustrated
total internal reflection in order to record a n
i m a g e of a person's fingerprint without the u s e
of ink.
 A Total internal reflection fluorescence
microscope u s e s the e v a n e s c e n t wa ve produced
b y TIR to exc ite fluorophores close to a surface.
Th i s is useful for the study of surface properties
of biological s a m p l e s .
 EXAMPLES IN
E V E RY D AY LI FE
Total internal reflection c a n b e observed while sw i m m i n g,
when one opens one's e y e s just under the water's
surface. If the water is c a l m , its surface a p p e a r s
mirror-like.
One c a n demonstrate total internal reflection b y filling a
s i nk or bath with water, taki ng a g l a s s tumbler, a n d
pl a c i n g it upside-down over the p l u g hole (with the
tumbler completely filled with water). While water
rem a i ns both in the upturned tumbler a n d in the s i nk
surrounding it, the p l u g hole a n d p l u g are visible s i n c e the
a n g l e of refraction between g l a s s a n d water is not greater
than the critical a n g l e . If the drain is opened a n d the
tumbler is kept in position over the hole, the water in the
tumbler drains out l e a v i n g the g l a s s filled with air, a n d
this then ac ts a s the pl ug. Viewing this from ab ove, the
tumbler now a p p e a r s mirrored b e c a u s e light reflects off
the air/glass interface.
Th i s is diff erent phenomen on from reflection a n d
refraction. Reflection occurs when light g o e s b a c k in
s a m e m e d i u m . Refraction occurs when light travels from
different m e d i u m s . Here both are not h a p p e n i n g . T h i s is
d u e to both a n d a mixture of both.
Another com m on e x a m p l e of total internal reflection is a
critically cut diamond. T his is what g i v e s it m a x i m u m
spar k

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Following Books were a source for m y project.

 APC Laboratory Manual Phy sic s for c l a s s XII b y

R.S.MITTAL & S.SINGHAL.
 N C E RT P hysics Textbook for c l a s s 1 2
 Fe y n m a n Lectures on Phys ics
 Robert Ehrlich, “Why toast l a n d s jelly-side down:
Z e n a n d the art of p h y s i c s demonstrations”.