In total internal reflection (a) Some fraction of incident light gets ...
Total internal reflection occurs when light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium and the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle for that boundary. In this phenomenon, no transmission of light takes place from the denser to the rarer medium.
Explanation:
Incident and Refracted Rays:
When light travels from one medium to another, it changes its direction due to the change in its speed. The incident ray is the incoming ray of light, while the refracted ray is the ray that bends as it passes from one medium to another.
Critical Angle:
The critical angle is the angle of incidence that produces an angle of refraction of 90 degrees (i.e., the refracted ray emerges along the boundary). It is given by the equation: sin(critical angle) = (speed of rarer medium)/(speed of denser medium).
Conditions for Total Internal Reflection:
For total internal reflection to occur, two conditions must be met:
1. The light must travel from a denser medium to a rarer medium.
2. The angle of incidence must be greater than the critical angle for that boundary.
Consequences of Total Internal Reflection:
When total internal reflection occurs, the following consequences are observed:
1. No transmission of light: Total internal reflection results in the complete reflection of light at the boundary. Therefore, no transmission of light takes place from the denser to the rarer medium.
2. Reflection inside the denser medium: The incident light is completely reflected back into the denser medium. It continues to bounce off the boundary, creating a bouncing effect within the denser medium.
3. Light confinement: Total internal reflection is used in various applications where light needs to be confined within a medium, such as optical fibers and prism-based devices.
4. Loss of energy: Since no light is transmitted into the rarer medium, all of the incident light energy is reflected back into the denser medium.
Conclusion:
In total internal reflection, no transmission of light occurs from the denser to the rarer medium. It is a consequence of the angle of incidence being greater than the critical angle. This phenomenon has various applications and is utilized in devices that require light confinement within a medium.