Total Internal Reflection

Radiation & Matter 4:

Total Internal Reflection

AIM

The aim of this unit is to investigate what happens when light moves from an optically dense
medium (glass) to an optically less dense medium (air). The phenomenon found is used in
modern telephone communication to transmit information over long distances.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this unit you should be able to:

• explain what is meant by total internal reflection.
• explain what is meant by critical angle θc.
• describe the principles of a method for measuring the critical angle.
• derive the relationship sin θc = 1/n where θc is the critical angle for a medium of
absolute refractive index n.
• carry out calculations involving the relationship sin θc = 1/n .

Strathaven Academy -1- Radiation and Matter

 Total Internal Reflection

ACTIVITY 6

Critical angle of a perspex block

Aim
Measurement of the critical angle θc of a perspex block.

Apparatus
Ray box and single slit, 12 V power supply, semicircular perspex block, sheet of white paper,
protractor.

Instructions
• Place the block on the white paper and trace around its outline. Draw in the normal at the
midpoint B.

• Draw a line representing the angle θp = 10°, the line AB in the diagram above.

• Direct the raybox ray along AB and mark in the point C where the ray emerges.

• Draw a line representing the refracted ray, the line BC in the diagram above.

• Measure the angle θa, the refracted angle in air.

• Use an appropriate format to record your results.

• Repeat for other values of incident angle θp.

• Determine the critical angle θc for this perspex block.

Strathaven Academy -2- Radiation and Matter

 Total Internal Reflection

Critical angle and total internal reflection

When light travels from a medium of high refractive index to one of lower refractive index
(e.g. glass into air), it bends away from the normal. If the angle within the medium θm is
increased, a point is reached where the angle in θa becomes 90º.

The angle in the medium which causes this is called the critical angle, θc.

If the angle in the medium is greater than the critical angle, then no light is refracted and
Total Internal Reflection takes place within the medium.

Fibre-optics
A thin glass fibre uses the principle of total internal reflection. The rays of light always strike
the internal surface of the glass at an angle greater than the critical angle.

A commercial optical fibre has a fibre core of high refractive index surrounded by a thin,
outer cladding of glass with lower refractive index than the core. This ensures that total
internal reflection takes place.

Strathaven Academy -3- Radiation and Matter

 Total Internal Reflection

Relationship between critical angle and refractive index

At the critical angle, θm = θc and θa = 90°

sin θ a sin 90  1
= =
sin θ m sin θ c sin θ c

1
n=
sin θ c

Total internal reflection is more likely to take place in a material with a small critical angle;
therefore, it is desirable to use a medium of high refractive index when designing optical
fibres.

Examples
1. Calculate the critical angle for water of refractive index = 1.33.

1 1
sinθ c = = = 0.752 θc = 49°
n 1.33

2. A ray of light strikes the inside of a glass block as shown. Will the ray emerge from
the glass?

1 1
sinθ c = =
n 1.5

θc = 41.8°

The angle inside the glass is 60º, which is greater than 41.8º.
Hence total internal reflection occurs.

Strathaven Academy -4- Radiation and Matter

 Total Internal Reflection

Uses of internal reflection

1. The critical angle of glass is 42° so a ray of light striking a face in a 45° prism will
undergo total internal reflection (see diagrams below). Prisms of this type are used in
binoculars and periscopes. Car reflectors and road signs also use this principle to shine
brightly when headlights strike them.

45°
45°
45°
45°

2. Diamonds and other precious stones have high refractive indices and therefore low
critical angles. The light is totally internally reflected inside the stone, with the stone
cut in certain ways to maximise the effect. The reflected light is only emitted in certain
directions giving bright beams of coloured light (different colours are refracted
differently, remember). This is what causes the stone to sparkle.

3. Fibreoptic cables (in communication and medicine) use total internal reflection to
transmit information along a glass fibre - see your SG notes for more information.

Refraction & Total Internal Reflection in nature

1. Apparent depth - water looks shallower than it is

EYE

LIGHT IS REFRACTED
AWAY FROM THE NORMAL.

APPARENT
DEPTH

REAL
DEPTH

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 Total Internal Reflection

2. A stick appears bent where it enters water

EYE
AIR

WATER

3. Mirage

Hot air near the ground is less

dense than the cooler air above.
T.I.R. Takes place at the boundary
TIR TAKES between the two.
PLACE HERE

DENSE AIR

LESS DENSE AIR

The person sees the tree directly, and what looks like a reflection of the tree
due to the T.I.R. The human brain interprets this as meaning that there must
be water causing the reflection - it is a powerful optical illusion. The air is
swirling around; this causes the reflection to ripple, and this reinforces the
illusion of water.

4. Rainbow There must be rain in front of you and

sunlight behind you to produce a rainbow.
The sunlight is split into colours by the
refractions as shown.

SUNLIGHT Note that you will only see one colour from
each raindrop. This diagram might confuse
T.I.R. you - red is always on the outside of the
rainbow. If this person sees violet from
this drop, the red of the rainbow would
come from higher up raindrops.
RAINDROP
Raibows are caused by the angle that the
VIOLET light enters your eye. This is why you can’t
ever get to the end of a rainbow, and why
they are curved - all red rays are entering
your eye at the same angle and so on.

Moonlight can also cause this effect - it is

RED known as a moonbow and is quite rare to
EYE
see. Search for moonbows using Google
Images!

Strathaven Academy -6- Radiation and Matter

 Total Internal Reflection

Total Internal Reflection

25. Calculate the critical angle for each material using the refractive index given in the table
below.

Material n

Glass 1.54

Ice 1.31

Perspex 1.50

26. A beam of infrared radiation is refracted by a type of glass as shown.

a) Calculate the refractive index of the glass for infrared.

b) Calculate the critical angle of the glass for infrared.

27. A ray of light enters a glass prism of absolute refractive index 1.52, as shown:

a) Why does the ray not bend on entering the glass prism?
b) What is the value of angle X?
c) Why does the ray undergo total internal reflection at O?
d) Redraw the complete diagram showing the angles at O with their values.
e) Explain what would happen if the experiment was repeated with a prism of material
with refractive index of 1.30.

28. The absolute refractive indices of water and diamond are 1.33 and 2.42 respectively.

a) Calculate the critical angles for light travelling from each substance to air.
b) Comment on the effect of the small critical angle of diamond on the beauty of a well
cut stone.

Strathaven Academy -7- Radiation and Matter

 Total Internal Reflection

Total Internal Reflection Extension Question

The four blocks shown are Perspex, and have a refractive index of 1.5. Use this information to
determine the path of the ray of light until it leaves the block. Your answer should have a
sketch of the ray(s) and all working and reasoning shown!

45°

25°

60° 60°

Strathaven Academy -8- Radiation and Matter