12.5 - Total Internal Reflection

SNC 2D1

Critical Angle

the angle of incidence that produces a refracted angle of 90 degrees

Total Internal Reflection

the situation when the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle; there will be no refracted ray, only a reflected ray is visible

Total Internal Reflection Occurs When…

(1) light is travelling more slowly in the first medium than in the second

(2) the angle of incidence in large enough that no refraction occurs in the second medium. Instead, the ray is reflected into the first medium

Fibre Optics

uses light to transmit information along a glass cable (ex. communications, special effects in movies)

The Triangular Prism

prism oriented in a way that the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle of 41.1

Retro Reflectors

an optical device that returns an incident ray back in the same direction from which it came (e.g bike reflectors, road signs)