Difference between revisions of "Total Internal Reflection"
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(New page: [[Image:reflexion totale interne.png|thumb|right|250px|The larger the angle to the normal, the smaller is the fraction of light transmitted, until the angle when '''total internal reflecti...) |
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[[Image:reflexion totale interne.png|thumb|right|250px|The larger the angle to the normal, the smaller is the fraction of light transmitted, until the angle when '''total internal reflection''' occurs. (The color of the rays is to help distinguish the rays, and is not meant to indicate any color dependence.)]] | [[Image:reflexion totale interne.png|thumb|right|250px|The larger the angle to the normal, the smaller is the fraction of light transmitted, until the angle when '''total internal reflection''' occurs. (The color of the rays is to help distinguish the rays, and is not meant to indicate any color dependence.)]] | ||
'''Total internal reflection''' is an [[optical phenomenon]] that occurs when a ray of light strikes a medium boundary at an angle larger than the '''critical angle''' with respect to the normal to the surface. If the [[refractive index]] is lower on the other side of the boundary no light can pass through, so effectively all of the light is [[Reflection (physics)|reflected]]. The critical angle is the [[angle of incidence]] above which the total internal reflection occurs. | '''Total internal reflection''' is an [[optical phenomenon]] that occurs when a ray of light strikes a medium boundary at an angle larger than the '''critical angle''' with respect to the normal to the surface. If the [[refractive index]] is lower on the other side of the boundary no light can pass through, so effectively all of the light is [[Reflection (physics)|reflected]]. The critical angle is the [[angle of incidence]] above which the total internal reflection occurs. | ||
Revision as of 18:21, 14 February 2009
Total internal reflection is an optical phenomenon that occurs when a ray of light strikes a medium boundary at an angle larger than the critical angle with respect to the normal to the surface. If the refractive index is lower on the other side of the boundary no light can pass through, so effectively all of the light is reflected. The critical angle is the angle of incidence above which the total internal reflection occurs.