TUTORIAL 1

Reflection and refraction of light/ Total Internal Reflection/Dispersion and prism

nair = 1.00
c = 3 x 108 ms-1

1. Explain the meaning of critical angle for refraction of light in a medium.

2. State two (2) conditions for total internal reflection to occur.

3. State the Law of Reflection and name two of them.

4. The index of refraction of a diamond is 2.42.

a) Calculate the speed of light in the diamond.
b) Determine the angle of refraction if light comes from air with an angle of 550.

5. A light ray travels through three parallel slabs having different indices of refraction as
shown in Figure below. The first, second and third layer has index of refraction of
1.60, 1.40 and 1.20, respectively. The incident angle from the layer 1 to layer 2 is 30 o.

3
Laye n =
0o
r 1 1.60
θ Laye n =
1 2 1.40
θ rLaye
θ n=
2 c
r 3 1.20
a) What are the values of θ1 and θ2?
b) If the total internal reflection occurs at the surface between layer 3 and the air,
what is the critical angle (θC) between the layers?

6. A monochromatic light is incident at surface AB of a block of glass as shown in Figure

below. Determine the angle θ if the light is refracted in the glass and finally moves
along surface BC. Given the index of refraction for glass, nglass = 1.5.