Chapter 32: Light Reflection and Refraction

Total internal reflection

 Objectives

1. Predict whether light will be refracted or undergo total

internal reflection correctly.
2. Calculate the critical angles for different situations
without mistakes.
3. Explain dispersion and some optical phenomena
correctly..
 Recall: Refraction
• Refraction: The bending of light as it passes
from one medium into another.
Recall: Refraction
Recall: Refraction
Recall: Snell’s Law
 Dispersion
• Refraction of white light into seperate colours.
• Different colours travel at different speeds and
have a different n value.
 The Critical Angle (c)
• The angle of incidence where the light refracts
along the boundary between the two
mediums.
• sinR = 90o.
 Total Internal Reflection
• Complete reflection of light back into the first
medium.
• Light does not refract into the second
medium.
 Total Internal Reflection
• Two conditions must be met:
– Light must be travelling from a more optically
dense to a less optically dense medium.
• n1 > n2
– Angle of incidence (i) is greater than the critical
angle (c).
 Practice Problems
• What is the angle of refraction for light travelling
from a diamond (n=2.42) to air (n=1.00) with an
angle of incidence of 60°?

n1 = 2.42 1 = 60°
n2 = 1.00 2 = ?

Sin2 = n1sin1  Sin2 = 2.42sin60

n2 1.00

Sin2 = 2.096  2 = sin-1(2.096)  ERROR!

 Practice Problems
• What is the critical angle for light travelling from
a diamond (n=2.42) to air (n=1.00)?

n1 = 2.42 2 = 90°
n2 = 1.00 c = ? (in your equation, treat this as 1)

Sinc = n2sin2  Sinc = 1.00sin90 **sin90 = 1

n1
2.42

Sinc = 1.00  c = sin-1(0.413)  c = 24.4 ° 2.42

 Refraction Applications
• Rainbows.
• Mirages.
• Binoculars.
• Fibre optic cables.
• Diamonds.
 Total Internal Reflection (TIR)
If the light is incident at an angle larger than
this critical angle c, total internal
reflection will occur.

ni sin  c  nr sin 90

ni sin  c  nr

And remember that nr will be

1.0 if the second medium is air.
 TIR: Example
When light is travelling through glass into air,
the total internal reflection will occur at a
critical angle of 42o. Find the index of
refraction of the glass.
 TIR: Example
When light is travelling through glass into air,
the total internal reflection will occur at a
critical angle of 42o. Find the index of
refraction of the glass.

Givens : nr  nair  1.0

 c  42
Unknown : ni  ?
 TIR: Example
When light is travelling through glass into air,
the total internal reflection will occur at a
critical angle of 42o. Find the index of
refraction of the glass.
 TIR: Example
When light is travelling through glass into air,
the total internal reflection will occur at a
critical angle of 42o. Find the index of
refraction of the glass.
nr
Select : ni sin  c  nr  ni 
sin  c
1.0
Solve : ni   1.5
sin 42
 TIR: An Application
Optical fibres are based entirely on the
principle of TIR. An optical fibre is a flexible
strand of glass. With a straight or smoothly
bending fibre, the light will hit the wall at
an angle higher than the critical angle and
will all be reflected back into the fibre so
that no light will be lost.
 TIR: Mirages
Air of different densities
will have different ns
and light rays can
reflect within the air,
resulting in mirages
and looming artifacts.
 TIR: Mirages
Air of different densities
will have different ns
and light rays can
reflect within the air,
resulting in mirages
and looming artifacts.
 TIR: Mirages
Air of different densities
will have different ns
and light rays can
reflect within the air,
resulting in mirages
and looming artifacts.
Dispersion
Different frequencies (colours) of light
actually refract at different angles.
This is called dispersion and is especially
apparent when white light is passed
through a prism.
Dispersion in Water Droplets
Dispersion and total internal reflection
can occur in water droplets in the air:
Dispersion in Water Droplets
which may result in rainbows: