PHYSICS PROJECT

TOTAL INTERNAL
REFLECTION
 INDEX
S:NO: CONTENTS PAGE
NO:

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION 3

3. WORKING PRINCIPLE 4

4. CONDITIONS 4

5. EXPERIMENT 5

6. FORMULA AND DERIVATION 6-8

7. APPLICATIONS 8

8. CONCLUSION 15

9. BIBILIOGRAPHY 15
TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION

 AIM:

To study about total internal reflection and its

application.

 INTRODUCTION:

Total internal reflection (TIR) is the optical

phenomenon in which the waves arriving at the interface
(boundary) from one medium to another (e.g., from water to
air) are not refracted into the second ("external") medium, but
completely reflected back into the first ("internal") medium.
The phenomenon occurs if the angle of incidence is greater
than a certain limiting angle, called the critical angle. In
general, total internal reflection takes place at the boundary
between two transparent media when a ray of light in a
medium of higher index of refraction approaches the other
medium at an angle of incidence greater than the critical
angle. For a water-air surface the critical angle is 48.5°.
Because indices of refraction depend on wavelength, the
critical angle (and hence the angle of total internal reflection)
will vary slightly with wavelength and, therefore, with colour.
At all angles less than the critical angle, both refraction and
reflection occur in varying proportions. Total internal
reflection (TIR) is a ubiquitous phenomenon used in photonic
devices ranging from waveguides and resonators to lasers and
optical sensors. Controlling this phenomenon and light
confinement are keys to the future integration of
nanoelectronics and nanophotonics on the same silicon
platform.
 DISCOVERY:

In 1611, Johannes Kepler, a German mathematician and

astronomer, discovered the phenomenon of total internal
reflection ten years before Willebrord Snell derived his
famous formula for the refraction of light. It is interesting to
note that 200 years lapsed before it was accidentally
discovered by Daniel Colladon in 1842 that TIR can be used
for light guiding. TIR is the fundamental operating principle
behind many photonic devices, such as optical dielectric
waveguides, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopes
and laser cavities.

 CONTENT:

Let us learn about what is total internal reflection.

WHAT IS TIR?

Total internal reflection is the reflection of the incident

light, which hits a medium boundary at an angle greater than
the critical angle, relative to the surface. Glass prisms can be
shaped to produce total internal reflection as such are
employed in binoculars, periscopes, telescopes and other
optical instruments. Light rays may be conducted over long,
twisting paths by multiple total internal reflection in glass or
plastic rods or fibres.

 TERMS TO BE KNOWN:

 Critical angle:
 o Critical angle, in optics, is the angle of incidence beyond
which rays of light passing through a denser medium to
the surface of a less dense medium are no longer refracted
but totally reflected.
o It can be described as the angle of incidence that offers an
angle of refraction of 90 degrees.

 WORKING PRINCIPLE:

When a light wave passes through a boundary between

two materials of different refractive indices, a part of the wave
will be refracted at the surface of the boundary, and another
part will be reflected.

If the angle of incidence of the light wave is greater than

the critical angle, i.e. the incidence angle at which the light is
refracted and travels along the boundary, then the light wave
cannot pass via the boundary. Under this condition, the light is
said to be totally reflected back internally.

 CONDITIONS FOR TIR:

We have three major conditions that help us to decide

the phenomenon of total internal reflection (TIR) is based
upon. They are:
 The index of refraction must decrease across the
boundary in the direction of light refraction

 The light ray moves from a more dense medium to a less

dense medium.
 The angle of incidence must be greater than the critical
angle
 EXPERIMENT:

To understand total internal reflection, we will begin

with a thought experiment. Suppose that a laser beam is
submerged in a tank of water (don't do this at home) and
pointed upwards towards water-air boundary. Then suppose
that the angle at which the beam is directed upwards is slowly
altered, beginning with small angles of incidence and
proceeding towards larger and larger angles of incidence. If
we understand the principles of boundary behaviour, we
would expect that we would observe both reflection and
refraction. And indeed, that is what is observed (mostly). But
that's not the only observation that we could make. We would
also observe that the intensity of the reflected and refracted
rays do not remain constant. At angle of incidence close to 0
degrees, most of the light energy is transmitted across the
boundary and very little of it is reflected. As the angle is
increased to greater and greater angles, we would begin to
observe less refraction and more reflection. That is, as the
angle of incidence is increased, the brightness of the refracted
ray decreases and the brightness of the reflected ray increases.
Finally, we would observe that the angles of the reflection and
refraction are not equal. Since the light waves would refract
away from the normal, the angle of refraction would be
greater than the angle of incidence. And if this were the case,
the angle of refraction would also be greater than the angle of
reflection (since the angles of reflection and incidence are the
same). As the angle of incidence is increased, the angle of
refraction would eventually reach a 90-degree angle. These
principles are depicted in the diagram below.
 The maximum possible angle of refraction is 90-
degrees. If the angle of refraction were greater than 90
degrees, then the refracted ray would lie on the incident side
of the medium - that's just not possible. So in the case of the
laser beam in the water, there is some specific value for the
angle of incidence (we'll call it the critical angle) that yields
an angle of refraction of 90-degrees. This particular value for
the angle of incidence could be calculated using Snell’s law
(ni = 1.33, nr = 1.000, = 90 degrees, =???) and would be
found to be 48.6 degrees. Any angle of incidence that is
greater than 48.6 degrees would not result in refraction.
Instead, when the angles of incidence is greater than 48.6
degrees (the critical angle), all of the energy (the total energy)
carried by the incident wave to the boundary stays within the
water ( internal to the original medium) and undergoes
reflection off the boundary. When this happens, total internal
reflection occurs.
 FORMULAS:
 TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION:
 n1 / n2 = sin r / sin i

Notations Used In the Total Internal Reflection Formula

 r is the angle of refraction

 i is the angle of incidence
 n1 is the refractive index in medium 1
 n2 is the refractive index in medium 2

 CRITICAL ANGLE

sinθ = n2 / n1

Notations Used In critical angle formula

 n1 is the refractive index in medium 1

 n2 is the refractive index in medium 2
 θ is the critical angle

 REFRACTIVE INDEX
Let about refractive index of medium 1 is μ₁ and the
medium 2 is μ₂, critical angle θc, then from Snell’s law

μ₁sinθ₁ = μ₂sinθ₂

where θ₁ = 90⁰ and θ₂ = θc

μ₁ sin90⁰ = μ₂ sin θc

μ₁/μ₂ = 1/sin θc
Thus, refractive index of medium 2 with respect to
medium 1

μ₂₁ = μ₂/μ₁
μ₂₁ =1 /sin θc

 DERIVATION:

Snell’s law states the relationship between angles and indices

of refraction. It is given by
n1sinθ1=n2sinθ2
When the incident angle equals the critical angle θ1 = θc the
angle of refraction is 90 o (θ2 = 90 o). Noting that sin 90o = 1,
Snell’s law in this case becomes,
n1sinθ1=n2

The critical angle θc for a given combination of materials is

thus

θc = sin -1 (n2 / n1) for n1 > n2

Now let us learn about the applications of total internal

reflection

APPLICATIONS OF TIR

 MIRAGE:

Mirage is an optical illusion caused due to total internal

reflection of light. The light gets refracted when it passes from
cold to hot air and so light bends. The refracted light reaches to a
point where the light tends to form an angle of 90 degree. Mirage
is a phenomenon which can be seen when the surface air gets
heated up and it becomes lighter. Lighter air moves up in the
atmosphere. When the lighter air from cooler areas to warmer
areas are refracted and they bent upwards. It usually occurs in
deserts. It occurs in hot atmospheric conditions.

 CAUSE:

This is a physics phenomenon. The density of air is

different at different temperatures. Hot air is less dense than
cold air. Because the density of air is not constant as the light
passes through the hot and cold, the light is bent. The sunlight
hits the object and reflects off of it. The light does not bend so
much with the cool air. The light coming through the hot air
reflects up towards you. Between the light coming through the
hot air and the cold air, you see an inverted image that seems
to be reflected off

 MIRAGE FORMATION:

o Mirages are a direct result of photons taking the path of

minimum time in vertical temperature gradients. Ideal
conditions for a mirage are still air on a hot, sunny day
over a flat surface that will absorb the sun's energy and
become quite hot. When these conditions exist, the air
closest to the surface is hottest and least dense and the air
density gradually increases with height. Incoming
photons take a curved path from the sky to the viewer's
eye. The illusion comes from the fact that quantum
electrodynamics is not intuitive and the human brain
assumes that light travels in a straight line. A viewer
looking at, say, the road ahead on a hot, still, day will see
 the sky because photons from the sky are taking the
curved path that minimizes the time taken. The brain
interprets this as water on the road because water would
reflect light from the sky in much the same way that a
vertical temperature gradient does.
o Mirage happens in a hot sunny day creating an illusion of
water. But when we reach there, nothing seems to be
there. On hot sunny day, temperature of earth surface
increases. This led to heating up of air surrounding them.
But the air present in the atmosphere will be cooler.
Scientifically speaking refractive index of hot air is lesser
than cold air. So when a light pass from cold air to hot air
light tends to bend from its path which is known as
refraction. As the light get refracted it reaches to a point
where the light tends to form 90 degree angle. No more
refraction takes place when it reaches 90, besides all the
light get reflected back. At this point of time trees look
inverted which looks as if it is inverted on a pool.
Therefore, its total internal reflection that is responsible
for mirage formation.

 DAILY LIFE EXAMPLES:

o In a desert, the sand is very hot during day time and a

result the layer of air in contact with it gets heated up
and becomes lighter. The lighter air rises up and the
denser air from above comes down.
 As a result, the successive upper layers are denser than
those below them. A ray of light coming from a distant object,
like the top a tree, gets refracted from a denser to a rarer
medium. Consequently the refracted ray bends away from the
normal until at a particular layer, the light is incident at an
angle greater than the critical angle. At this stage the incident
ray suffers total internal reflection and is reflected upwards.
When this reflected beam of light enters the eyes of the
observer, it appears as if an inverted image of the tree is seen
and the sand looks like a pool of water.

o A same phenomenon is experienced when we are driving

on highway. The road ahead seems to have water but its
again total internal refraction. It is caused by a change in
the refractive index due to the high temperature near the
road and the lower temperature above it. In other words,
it is caused by the redirection of the reflected light waves.

 DIAMOND:
Total internal reflection is the main cause of the
brilliance of the diamond. The refractive index of diamond
with respect to air is 2.42. Its critical angle is 24.41°. When
light enters a diamond from any face at an angle greater than
24.41° it undergoes total internal reflection. Light is travelling
more slowly in the first medium than the second medium. By
cutting the diamond suitably, multiple internal reflections can
be made to occur. This means that the first medium has the
largest index of refraction.

A good example of total internal reflection is a diamond.

Diamonds achieve their brilliance partially from total internal
reflection. Diamond has the highest index of refraction but
can increase the amount of total internal reflection by being
cut properly making diamond sparkle. Because diamonds
have a high index of refraction (about 2.3), the critical angle
for the total internal reflection is only about 25 degrees. After
many such reflections, the colours in the light are separated
and seen individually. The diamond is cut suitably so that the
light entering the diamond from any face incident at an angle
greater than its critical angle and suffers multiple total internal
reflections at various surfaces.

 WIND SHEILD RAIN SENSORS:

 The rain sensor is mounted beside the rear view mirror
in such a way that it is in contact with the windshield. A small
portion of the windshield is blackened to hide the rain sensor.
However, there is a tiny view port which is not blackened and
through which the sensor is able to detect rain.

The rain sensor works on the principle of total internal

reflection. This technique makes use of infrared radiation. An
infrared light beams at a 45-degree angle on a clear area of the
windshield from the sensor inside the car. When it rains, the
wet glass causes the light to scatter and lesser amount of light
gets reflected back to the sensor. When the amount of light
reflected back reduces to a level preset by the software inside
the sensor, it automatically switches on the wiping mechanism
of the car to start the drying process.
The software also determines the speed of the wipers
depending on the amount of moisture accumulation. This
speed changes according to the detection of moisture by the
sensor.
 OPTICAL FIBRE :
 Total internal reflection is also used in optical fibres. An
optical fibre consists of an inner core of high refractive index
glass and surrounded by an outer cladding of lower refractive
index. When light is introduced into the inner core at one end,
it will propagate along the fibre in a zigzag path undergoing a
series of total internal reflections. Optical fibres rely on total
internal reflection for their operation.
An optical fibre is a thin rod of high-quality glass.
Light/infrared getting in at one end undergoes repeated total
internal reflection and emerges at the other end.

Notice that the light refracts towards the normal as it

enters the optical fibre. When the light hits the end of the fibre
the angle of incidence is now less than the critical angle and
the light refracts away from the normal into the air
In an optical fibre, the light travels through the core by
constantly reflecting from the cladding because the angle of
the light is always greater than the critical angle.
 DAILY LIFE EXAMPLES:
Optical fibres are useful for getting light to inaccessible
places. Fibre optic diagnostic tools are used in medicine and
fibre optic cables are used in telecommunications.
o An endoscope is an instrument made of a fibre optic
cable. It is used by doctors to see the inside of the human
body such as the stomach and the duodenum.
o In telecommunications, copper cables are now replaced
by fibre optic cables in the telephone system.
 o Multiple signals can be sent at high speeds through
bundles of fibres by using flashes of light from a laser

 CONCLUSION:
Total internal reflection is a beautiful phenomenon
responsible for mirage formation , rainbow formation etc
which takes place only when the incident angle of the light
ray is greater than the critical angle of that particular medium.

 BIBILIOGRAPHY:
https://www.vedantu.com/physics/total-internal-reflection
https://byjus.com/physics/total-internal-reflection/
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refrn/Lesson-
3/Total-Internal-Reflection
https://www.britannica.com/science/total-internal-reflection
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_internal_reflection
https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-
3/pages/1-4-total-internal-
reflection#:~:text=1%20%3E%20n%202%20.-
,%CE%B8%20c%20%3D%20sin%20%E2%88%921%20(%2
0n%202%20n%201%20),for%20n%201%20%3E%20n%202
%20.&text=Total%20internal%20reflection%20occurs%20for
,refraction%20less%20than%20the%20first
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zctmh39/revision/2#:~:
text=Optical%20fibres%20rely%20on%20total,it%20enters%
20the%20optical%20fibre.
https://www.aplustopper.com/applications-total-internal-
reflection/
https://madhavuniversity.edu.in/mirage.html
https://computer.howstuffworks.com/fiber-optic6.htm