The Critical Angle
The Critical Angle
The Critical Angle
In the previous part of Lesson 3, the phenomenon of total internal reflection was introduced. Total
internal reflection (TIR) is the phenomenon that involves the reflection of all the incident light off the
boundary. TIR only takes place when both of the following two conditions are met:
a light ray is in the more dense medium and approaching the less dense medium.
the angle of incidence for the light ray is greater than the so-called critical angle.
In our introduction to TIR, we used the example of light traveling through water towards the
boundary with a less dense material such as air. When the angle of incidence in water reaches a
certain critical value, the refracted ray lies along the boundary, having an angle of refraction of 90-
degrees. This angle of incidence is known as the critical angle; it is the largest angle of incidence for
which refraction can still occur. For any angle of incidence greater than the critical angle, light will
undergo total internal reflection.
This equation for the critical angle can be used to predict the critical angle for any boundary,
provided that the indices of refraction of the two materials on each side of the boundary are known.
Examples of its use are shown below:
Example A
Calculate the critical angle for the crown glass-air boundary. Refer to the table of indices of
refraction if necessary.
The solution to the problem involves the use of the above equation for the critical angle.
Θcrit = sin-1 (nr/ni) = invsine (nr/ni)
Θcrit = sin-1 (1.000/1.52) = 41.1 degrees
Example B
Calculate the critical angle for the diamond-air boundary. Refer to the table of indices of refraction if
necessary.
The solution to the problem involves the use of the above equation for the critical angle.
Θcrit = sin-1 (nr/ni) = invsine (nr/ni)
Θcrit = sin-1 (1.000/2.42) = 24.4 degrees
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See Answer
2. Aaron Agin is trying to determine the critical angle of the diamond-glass surface. He looks up the
index of refraction values of diamond (2.42) and crown glass (1.52) and then tries to compute the
critical angle by taking the
invsine(2.42/1.52).
Unfortunately, Aaron's calculator keeps telling him he has an ERROR! Aaron hits the calculator and
throws it own the ground a few times; he then repeats the calculation with the same result. He then
utters something strange about the pizza he had slopped on it the evening before and runs out of the
library with a disappointed disposition. What is Aaron's problem? (That is, what is the problem with
his method of calculating the critical angle?)
See Answer
3. Calculate the critical angle for an ethanol-air boundary. Refer to the table of indices of refraction if
necessary.
See Answer
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4. Calculate the critical angle for a flint glass-air boundary. Refer to the table of indices of refraction if
necessary.
See Answer
5. Calculate the critical angle for a diamond-crown glass boundary. Refer to the table of indices of
refraction if necessary.
See Answer
See Answer
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