Total Internal Reflection Phase Change – Rankers Physics
Topic: Ray Optics
Subtopic: Total Internal Reflection

Total Internal Reflection Phase Change

Assertion (A): In total internal reflection reflected light is in the phase with incident light.
Reason (R): Reflecting surface is rarer in TIR.
 
(1) Both (A) & (R) are true and the (R) is the correct explanation of the (A)
(2) Both (A) & (R) are true but the (R) is not the correct explanation of the (A)
(3) (A) is true but (R) is false
(4) Both (A) and (R) are false

Solution:

In Total Internal Reflection (TIR), light reflects from a denser medium into the same denser medium at the interface with a rarer medium. Reflection at a denser interface causes a \(\pi\) phase change, but in TIR, reflection from an 'optically denser medium-optically rarer medium' boundary results in no phase change in the reflected wave. Thus, (A) is true.
The reflecting surface in TIR is the interface between the denser and rarer media, not 'rarer'. Thus, (R) is false.
Therefore, (A) is true but (R) is false.

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