AISSCE

(2024-25)

WORLD WAY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

BHOPAL

PHYSICS PROJECT

TOPIC: ___TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION____

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish to express my special thanks of gratitude and

sincere thanks to the Principal of the World Way
International School, for her encouragement and all
the facilities that she provided for this project work.
I take this opportunity to express my gratitude, and
thanks to , PGT PHYSICS who
guided me to the successful completion of this project.
I extend my hearty thanks to my parents and
classmates who through their valuable advice helped
me to carry out this project.

_Adhish Pradhan
XII -
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Adhish Pradhan of standard XII ‘A’ has
successfully completed the project on TOTAL INTERNAL
REFLECTION
The report is the result of effort and endeavors. The report is found
worthy of acceptance as final project under the guidance of .

________________ __________________
SIGNATURE OF SIGNATURE OF
INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER

_____________________
________________________________
SIGNATURE OF PRINCIPAL / SEAL
Signature of the external examiner
Signature of the Physics teacher

Content
 Introduction
 Optical description
 Critical angle
 Phase shift upon
total internal
reflection
 Total internal
reflection in diamond
 Applications of
total internal
reflection
 Examples in
everyday life
 Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION
Total internal reflection is an optical phenomenon that
happens when a ray of light strikes a medium boundary
at an angle larger than a particular critical angle
with respect to the normal to the surface. If the refractive
index is lower on the other side of the boundary and the
incident angle is greater than the critical angle, no light
can pass through and all of the light is reflected. The
critical angle is the angle of incidence above which the
total internal reflectance occurs.
When a light beam crosses a boundary between materials
with different kinds of refractive indices, the light beam
will be partially refracted at the boundary surface,
and partially reflected. However, if the angle of
incidence is greater (i.e. the ray is closer to being
parallel to the boundary) than the critical angle – the
angle of incidence at which light is refracted such that
it travels along the boundary – then the light will stop
crossing the boundary altogether and instead be totally
reflected back internally. This can only occur where light
travels from a medium with a higher [n1=higher
refractive index] to one with a lower refractive index
[n2=lower refractive index]. For example, it will occur
when passing from glass to air, but not when passing
from air to glass.
OPTICAL DISCRIPTION
Total internal reflection can be demonstrated using a
semi- circular block of glass or plastic. A "ray box" shines a
narrow beam of light (a "ray") onto the glass. The semi-
circular shape ensures that a ray pointing towards the centre
of the flat face will hit the curved surface at a right angle;
this will prevent refraction at the air/glass boundary of the
curved surface. At the glass/air boundary of the flat surface,
what happens will depend on the angle? Where is θC the
critical angle measurement which is caused by the sun or a
light source (measured normal to the surface):
• If θ < θC, the ray will split. Some of the ray will
reflect off the boundary, and some will refract as it passes
through. This is not total internal reflection.
• If θ > θC, the entire ray reflects from the boundary.
None passes through. This is called total internal reflection.
This physical property makes optical fibres useful and
prismatic binoculars possible. It is also what gives diamonds
their distinctive sparkle, as diamond has an unusually
high refractive index.
 CRITICAL ANGLE
The critical angle is the angle of incidence above
which total internal reflection occurs. The angle of
incidence is measured with respect to the normal at
the refractive boundary (see diagram illustrating Snell's
law). Consider a light ray passing from glass into air.
The light emanating from the interface is bent towards
the glass. When the incident angle is increased
sufficiently, the transmitted angle (in air) reaches 90
degrees. It is at this point no light is transmitted into air.

𝒏𝟏 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽𝒊 = 𝒏𝟐 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽𝒕
The critical angle is given by Snell's law.

Rearranging Snell's Law, we get incidence

n1𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽𝒊=n2𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽t

To find the critical angle, we find the value for 𝜽𝒊 when 𝜽𝒕 =

𝟗𝟎° and thus 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽𝒕 = 𝟏 .The resulting value of
equal to the critical angle 𝜽𝒄.
is

Now, we can solve for 𝜽𝒊 , and we get the equation for the
critical angle:

θi=θc=sin-1(n2/n1)
If the incident ray is precisely at the critical angle, the
refracted ray is tangent to the boundary at the point of
incidence. If for example, visible light were travelling
through acrylic glass (with an index of refraction of
1.50) into air (with an index of refraction of 1.00), the
calculation would give the critical angle for light from
acrylic into air, which is

𝜽𝒄=𝐬𝐢𝐧−𝟏(𝟏.𝟎𝟎/𝟏.𝟓𝟎)=𝟒𝟏.𝟖
 PHASE SHIFT UPON
TOTAL INTERNAL
REFLECTION
A lesser-known aspect of total internal reflection is that
the reflected light has an angle dependent phase shift
between the reflected and incident light. Mathematically
this means that the Fresnel reflection coefficient becomes a
complex rather than a real number. This phase shift is
polarization dependent and grows as the incidence angle
deviates further from the critical angle toward
grazing incidence.
The polarization dependent phase shift is long known
and was used by Fresnel to design the Fresnel rhomb
which allows transforming circular polarization to
linear polarization and vice versa for a wide range
of wavelengths (colours), in contrast to the quarter
wave plate. The polarization dependent phase shift is
also the reason why TE and TM guided modes have
different dispersion relations.
 REFLECTION IN
DIAMOND
From glass to air the critical angle is about 42o but it
varies from one medium to another. The material that
gives the smallest critical angle is diamond. That is why they
sparkle so much! Rays of light can easily be made to
'bounce around inside them' by careful cutting of the stone and
the refraction at the surfaces splits the light into a spectrum of
colours!
Relatively speaking, the critical angle 24.4o for the
diamond- air boundary is extremely small. This property of
the
diamond-air boundary plays an important role in the brilliance
of a diamond gemstone. Having a small critical angle, light
has the tendency to become "trapped" inside of a diamond
once it enters. Most rays approach the diamond at angles of
incidence greater than the critical angle (as it is so small) so a
light ray will typically undergo TIR several times before
finally refracting out of the diamond. This gives diamond a
tendency to sparkle. The effect can be enhanced by the cutting of
a diamond gemstone with a 'strategically' planned shape.
 APPLICATIONS OF
TOTAL
INTERNAL
REFLECTION
Total internal reflection is the operating principle of
optical fibres, which are used in endoscopes and
telecommunications.
Total internal reflection is the operating principle of
automotive rain sensors, which control automatic
windscreen/windshield wipers.
Another application of total internal reflection is the
spatial filtering of light.
Prismatic binoculars use the principle of total internal
reflections to get a very clear image.
Gonioscopy employs total internal reflection to view the
anatomical angle formed between the eye's cornea and iris.
Optical fingerprinting devices use frustrated total internal
reflection in order to record an image of a person's
fingerprint without the use of ink.
A Total internal reflection fluorescence microscope uses the
evanescent wave produced by TIR to excite fluorophores
close to a surface. This is useful for the study of
surface properties of biological samples.
 EXAMPLES IN
EVERYDAY LIFE
Total internal reflection can be observed while swimming, when one
opens one's eyes just under the water's surface. If the water is
calm, its surface appears mirror-like.
One can demonstrate total internal reflection by filling a sink or
bath with water, taking a glass tumbler, and placing it upside-
down over the plug hole (with the tumbler completely
filled with water). While water remains both in the upturned
tumbler and in the sink surrounding it, the plug hole and
plug are visible since the angle of refraction between glass
and water is not greater than the critical angle. If the drain is
opened and the tumbler is kept in position over the hole, the
water in the tumbler drains out leaving the glass filled
with air, and this then acts as the plug. Viewing this from above,
the tumbler now appears mirrored because light reflects off
the air/glass interface.
This is different phenomenon from reflection and refraction.
Reflection occurs when light goes back in same medium.
Refraction occurs when light travels from different mediums.
Here both are not happening. This is due to both and a
mixture of both. Another common example of total internal
reflection is a critically cut diamond. This is what gives it
maximum spark.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Following Books and websites were a source for my project.

 Wikipedia
 NCERT Physics Textbook for class 12
 Feynman Lectures on Physics
 Google