Total Internal Reflection
Total Internal Reflection: Overview
This topic covers concepts such as Total Internal Reflection, Critical Angle, Total Internal Reflection in Liquids and Total Internal Reflection in Optical Fibers etc.
Important Questions on Total Internal Reflection
A beam of light consisting of red, green and blue and is incident on a right angled prism. The refractive index of the material of the prism for the above red, green and blue wavelength are 1.39, 1.44 and 1.47 respectively. The prism will

A ray of light traveling in a denser medium strikes the boundary of a rarer medium and gets partially reflected and refracted. The angle of reflection is and that of refraction is . If the reflected and refracted rays make an angle of with each other, then the critical angle for the pair of media is

Two glass blocks of triangular cross section are used to make a periscope. Which of the following is the correct arrangement?

A vertical parallel beam of rays comes from bottom of a tank filled with a liquid. When it is accelerated with an acceleration of 7.5 m/s2, the ray is seen to be totally reflected by liquid surface. What is minimum possible refractive index of liquid?

A point source of light is placed at a distance h below the surface of a large deep lake. What is the percentage of light energy that escapes directly from the water surface is μ of the water = 4/3? (neglect partial reflection)

A small source of light is 4 m below the surface of a liquid of refractive index 5/3. In order to cut off all the light coming out of liquid surface, minimum diameter of the disc placed on the surface of liquid is

In the figure ABC is the cross section of a right angled prism and BCDE is the cross section of a glass slab. the value of θ so that light incident normally on the face AB does not cross the face BC is (given sin-1 (3/5) = 37o)

A rod made of glass and of the square cross-section is bent into the shape shown in the figure. A parallel beam of light falls perpendicularly on the plane flat surface . Referring to the diagram, is the width of a side & is the radius of the inner semicircle. Find the maximum value of ratio so that, all light entering the glass through surface emerge from the glass through surface .

A room contains air in which the speed of sound is . The walls of the room are made of concrete in which the speed of sound is . (a) Find the critical angle for total internal reflection of sound at the concrete - air boundary. (b) In which medium must the sound be travelling to undergo total internal reflection?

An optical fibre is based on:

A ray of light from a denser medium strikes a rarer medium at an angle of incidence (see figure). The reflected and refracted rays make an angle of with each other. The angles of reflection and refraction are and The critical angle is

A ray of light from a denser medium strikes a rarer medium at an angle of incidence (see figure). The reflected and refracted rays make an angle of with each other. The angles of reflection and refraction are and . The critical angle is

A glass prism of refractive index is immersed in water (refractive index ). A light beam incident normally on the face AB is totally reflected to reach on the face if


What is the maximum angle of incidence for which total internal reflection take place inside the pipe as shown in the figure?

Light travels a distancein time in air and in time in another denser medium. What is the critical angle for this medium?

The critical angle for a denser-rarer interface is . The speed of light in rarer medium is . The speed of light in the denser medium is:

If light is passing through a medium of critical angle , then the wave speed will be

The critical angle for the total internal reflection of diamond in air is . State whether the statement given here is correct or incorrect. Give a reason for your answer.
The sparkle of the diamond increases remarkably when placed in water.

The critical angle for the total internal reflection of diamond in air is . State whether the statement given here is correct or incorrect. Give a reason for your answer.
The critical angle for total internal reflection of diamond is more than when surrounded by water.
