https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=pMMJo2q5ADM

Critical Angle and Total Internal Reflection

When a light ray enters from one medium to another 3 things happen, a part of the light ray is
reflected, a part of it is refracted and a part of it is absorbed.

Consider the following diagram where the light rays are travelling from denser medium to a rarer
medium.

Consider the Ray#1, it is travelling vertically along in a straight line i.e. along the normal, so the ray
does not undergo any change in the path and are reflected & refracted along the same path. A part
of ray is also absorbed.

Ray 2 &Ray 3: a part of these rays are reflected and refracted along different paths, following the
rules of reflection and refraction respectively. A part of ray is also absorbed.

Ray 4 : It hit the surface at such an angle that the refracted ray is parallel to (along) the surface
(angle of refraction is 90). This angle is called as the critical angle. A part of ray is also absorbed.

Ray 5: When the ray hits the surface at an angle greater than the critical angle, the ray is not
refracted. It is only reflected back this is known as Total internal reflection. A part of the ray is
absorbed.

Air(rarer medium)

Critical
angle
1 2 3 4 5

Light Source

Water (Denser medium)