Total Internal Reflection

Objectives:
• Describe critical angle.
• Describe how total internal reflection occur.
• Determine the critical angle and angle of reflection using
Snell’s Law.
 Refraction
It occurs when the light rays bends when it travels from one medium to
another medium.

AIR

i r

r i
GLASS

When light rays travels from less denser medium When light rays travels from more denser
to more denser medium, light ray will bend medium to less denser medium, light ray will
towards the normal. bend away the normal.
 DENSER LESS DENSER MEDIUM
MEDIUM
AIR
90° When the angle of incidence in the
Critical angle denser medium reaches a certain
42° critical value that result for the
refracted ray to have an angle of
GLASS refraction of 90-degrees.

AIR

43° 43° Total Internal Reflection

GLASS When the incident angle is greater
than the critical angle, the light is
totally reflected within the same
medium.
Key points:
CRITICAL ANGLE Total Internal Reflection
• Incidence angle must travel from more • Light travels from denser medium to
denser medium to less denser medium. less denser medium.
• Refracted angle should be at 90° • Incident angle ˃ critical angle

90°

42° 43° 43°

 Snell’s Law
(Law of Refraction)
 The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the surface at the point of
incidence all lie in one plane
 The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of
refraction is a constant, for the given pair of media”
- Willebrord Snell
 Snell’s Law
(Law of Refraction)
 The incident ray, the refracted ray and the normal to the surface at the point of
incidence all lie in one plane
 The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of
refraction is a constant, for the given pair of media”
- Willebrord Snell

n1 sin θi = n2 sin θr

n = refracted index of the medium of 1 and 2

Θ = angles between the rays and the perpendicular
in medium.
Example:
What must be the incident angle if the refracted angle is at 90°? The
media where the light rays travel is from water with refracted index of
1.33 to air with a refracted index of 1.
Given: Solutio
n: n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2
=1
1 sin (90°) = 1.33 sin θc
=1.33
= 90° 1
1 = sin  θ
c
1.33
Require
d: 0.7519 =
2= ? =
=
=
48.76°
Example: =
48.76°
What must be the refracted angle when the incident angle is 50°. The
media where the light rays travel are from water with refracted index of
1.33 to air with a refracted index of 1.
Given: Solutio
n: n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2
=1
1 sin (θr) = 1.33 sin 50°
=1.33
= 50° 1 sin (θr) = 1.02
2
=
Require
There is no refracted angle if the
d:
1= ?
=x incident angle exceeds 48.76°
therefore, a total internal
reflection will occur.
Practice Problem
Calculate the critical angle between glass and water. The refracted index
of water is 1.33 and glass is 1.5.

Given: Solutio n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2

n: 1.33 sin (90°) = 1.5 sin c
=1.33
=1.5 1.33
= sin  θc
1 = 90° 1.5
0.8867 =
Require
=
d:
2= ?
=
62.46°
Example:
The critical angle for the interface between a solid and air is 40°. What
is the index of refraction of solid?

Given: Solutio
n: n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2
(air) =1
1 sin (90°) = sin 40°
1 = 90°
1
2 = 40° ¿ = 𝑛2
sin (40 ° ¿
Require
d: = 1.56
(solid)= ?
Practice Problem
A beam of light going through a medium with an index of refraction of 1.14 has an
angle of incidence of 48° with another medium. If the light wave is at a new angle
of 39°, what is the index of refraction for the second medium?
Given: Solutio
n: n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2
=1.14
1.14sin (48°) = sin 39°
1 = 48°
0.847
2 = 39° ¿ = 𝑛2
sin (39 ° ¿
Require = 1.35
=?d: