VELAMMAL VIDHYASHRAM

MAMBAKKAM

PHYSICS
INVESTIGATORY PROJECT REPORT
2019 – 2020
TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION
DONE BY:
NAME : SambaSivaSai Davuluru
ROLL.NO :……12D14………………….
GRADE :.. XII… SEC:…D……
GROUP : COMPUTER SCIENCE
 BONAFIde CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this PHYSICS Investigatory Project on

the topic …………TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION ……….. has been

successfully completed by ........SambaSivaSai Davuluru.... of class

XII COMPUTER SCIENCE , Roll.no…………………... at Velammal

Vidhyashram, Mambakkam, for the partial fulfilment of this

project as a part of All India Senior School Certificate

Examination-CBSE, New Delhi for the academic Year 2019 - 2020.

Date: ……………………..

Signature of Principal Signature of the Guide

Name:

Submitted for AISSCE 2019-2020, PHYSICS Practical

examination on ………………….

Signature of the Signature of the

Internal Examiner External Examiner
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“Hard Work accomplishes our Dream Work”. I worked HARD and

SMART to accomplish my work; well it is achieved only as a result
of coordination of associated people .I would like to extend my
gratitude towards the Velammal Vidhyashram’s Principal Sir
Mr.ArulKumar R who bequeathed their support to extend our
knowledge.

Any attempt at any level cannot have been satisfactorily

completed without our genius, Mr.RAJKUMAR A who supported
our endeavours to this project in such perfect way. I take this
opportunity to express our sense of tribute to our lab in-charge
who provided the resources required to do the project.

I greet my special thanks of sincere requital to those of you who

have played the larger role in prolonging my agonies with your
encouragement and support; well you know who you are, and
how you owe me. After all the efforts from all of you, we assure
you to present our project in a paradisiacal manner.
 INDEX

Introduction

Optical description

Two conditions for Total Internal Reflection

Critical angle

Phase shift upon total internal reflection

Total internal reflection in diamond

Applications of total internal reflection

Examples in everyday life

Representing path of light using “Smart Chart”

Total Internal Reflection using a Soda

Bottle{EXPERIMENT}
 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 DESCRIPTION
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.
 TWO CONDITIONS FOR TOTAL INTERNAl

REFLECTION

ONE Two

Light ray must travel from Angle of incidence must be

an optically denser medium greater than critical angle
towards a less optically
denser medium

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 transmitted angle (in air)
 reaches 90 degrees. It is at this point no light is transmitted into
air. The critical angle is given by Snell's law.

𝑛1 sin 𝜃𝑖 = 𝑛2 sin 𝜃𝑡

Rearranging Snell's Law, we get incidence.

𝑛2
sin 𝜃𝑖 = sin 𝜃𝑡
𝑛1

 To find the critical angle, we find the value for 𝜃𝑖

when 𝜃𝑡 = 90° and thus sin 𝜃𝑡 = 1 .The resulting value of is
equal to the critical angle 𝜃𝑐 .
 Now, we can solve for 𝜃𝑖 , and we get the equation for the
critical angle:
𝑛2
𝜃𝑐 = 𝜃𝑖 = sin−1 ( )
𝑛1

 If the incident ray is precisely at the critical angle, the

refracted ray is tangent to the boundary at the point of
incidence.
 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

1.00
𝜃𝑐 = sin−1 ( ) = 41.8
1.50
 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.
 TOTAL INTERNAL 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.

TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION IN VARIOUS EXAMPLES

 In Binoculars

 In Rear Reflectors of Cars & Cycles

 In Periscope

 In SLR Cameras

 Current Uses of Optical Fibres

REPRESENTION OF LIGHT PATH IN
OPTICAL FIBRE THROUGH

“SMART CHART”

Constructing Light
Path: Optical Fiber
 Total Internal Reflection using a
Soda Bottle
AIM: FILL IT EMMAN

THEORY:-

In this case, nair = 1.00 nwater = 1.33. Therefore:

In this demo light will continually reflect through the stream of

water creating total internal reflection (TIR). The stream of water
will 'carry' the light though, to the end of the stream.

Total Internal Reflection is the principle behind fiber optics.

 MATERIALS:

 Empty soda pop bottle (2 liters)

 Tape
 Hand drill
 Drill bits
 Water
 Green laser
 Bucket
 old books, etc for stands
 PROCEDURE:

 First set up the soda bottle by drilling a hole near the bottom
of the bottle. Begin with a drill bit that has a diameter which is
slightly larger than the diameter of the laser that will be used.
We used a 1/4 inch drill bit, however sizes as small as 7/32
inch worked as well.
 First tape the hole and then fill the bottle with water. The cap
will prevent leaking because it creates a vacuum in the bottle.
 Stand the soda bottle on top of a stack of books so the hole is
facing the bucket. The laser should be placed in a binder clip
so it stays on, and then set on a stack of books and papers. The
laser should be lined up so that the laser light goes through
the soda bottle, and into the center of the hole. See for details.
 Carefully remove the tape and then unscrew the top of the
soda bottle. The light should reflect within the stream of
 water so that you could see at least a few points of reflection.
The light should be visible through the entire stream.

 If the reflections of the light aren’t clear, it may be necessary

to expand the hole by drilling through the existing hole with a
larger drill bit. This process may need to be repeated several
times.

PRECAUTIONS:

 This is an messy experiment. Be ready to adjust the bucket

which catches the stream of water.
 Also be aware that the stream's curvature will change as the
water level decreases. It will bend closer to the bottle, and
the bucket may need to be adjusted again. When the water
level is a little above the hole there will be no total internal
reflection although the stream will continue. Place the cap
back on, or put the bottle inside of the bucket.
 Make sure to have lots of paper towels! Towels or rags could
be useful too. However, this mess is water, and therefore
easy to clean up.
 Some resources suggest putting a drop of food coloring in
the bottom of the bucket to match the laser light, giving the
appearance that the water has permanently 'trapped' the
colored light.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Following Books and websites were a source for my project.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_internal_reflection
2. https://www.slideshare.net/naveenjayan/physics-
investiga tory-project-46371553
3. NCERT Physics Textbook for class 12