Question

The critical angle for total internal reflection at an air - water interface is approximately 48 degrees. In which of the following situations will total reflection occurs?

Answer 1

Answer on Question 82171, Physics, Optics

Question:

The critical angle for total internal reflection at an air-water interface is approximately $48{}^{\circ}$ . In which of the following situations will total internal reflection occur?

a) light incident in water at $40{}^{\circ}$

b) light incident in water at $55{}^{\circ}$

c) light incident in air at $40{}^{\circ}$

d) light incident in air at $55{}^{\circ}$

Solution:

The total internal reflection occurs when light attempts to move from a medium having a given refractive index to a medium having a lover refractive index (in our case from water with $n_1 = 1.33$ to air with $n_2 = 1.0$ ).

As we can see in the picture for $\theta_{1} > \theta_{c}$ there is no reflected ray. Thus, in order to occur the total internal reflection we need b) light incident in water at $55{}^{\circ}$ .

Answer:

b) light incident in water at $55{}^{\circ}$ .

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