Grade 11

CRITICAL ANGLE AND TOTAL

INTERNAL REFLECTION
Objectives

▪ explain ‘critical angle’ and ‘total internal

reflection’;
▪ relate critical angles to total internal
reflection;
▪ draw diagrams illustrating applications of
total internal reflection
Demonstration
Questions
● At angle angle does the refraction in the block start
to change?
● How does the ray look after it reaches this angle?
Exercise
Explain how you think the material is able to
keep the light from spreading out of the
material at this angle
Critical Angle
Total Internal Reflection

▪ When light from one medium gets reflected

back into the medium at the boundary with
another medium
Critical Angle

▪ This is the angle which the light rays start to

reflect into the medium at the boundary with
another medium.
▪ Critical angle Formulae
� n = 1/sin c
■ n – refractive index
■ c – critical angle of the light ray
Conditions for Total
Internal Reflection
▪ The rays must be travelling from a slower
medium to a faster medium
▪ The incident angle must be greater than or
equal to the critical angle
Total Internal Reflection
in Industry
▪ Fibre Optics
▪ Periscopes
▪ Binoculars
▪ Cameras
Activity

▪ Highlight other areas which total internal

reflection is seen.
▪ Indicate how instruments which uses total
internal reflection can be improved.