Rankers Physics

Total Internal Reflection: Practice Problem & Solution

In total internal reflection when the angle of incidence is equal to the critical angle for the pair of media in contact, what will be angle of refraction? (2019)
$180^\circ$
$0^\circ$
Equal to angle of incidence
$90^\circ$

Solution Explained:

To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Total Internal Reflection. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:

The critical angle is defined as the angle of incidence in the denser medium for which the angle of refraction in the rarer medium is exactly $90^\circ$.
When the angle of incidence equals the critical angle, the refracted ray grazes the interface.
Therefore, the angle of refraction is $90^\circ$.

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