Submitted by :- Submitted by :-

PANDEY YOGESH RAJESH Mr. K.C. SHUKLA

Teacher sign :-
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that PANDEY YOGESH RAJESH

of class XII of

AIMS INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

has successfully completed his project report in

Physics on the topic“ Total Internal Reflection ....”

for the partial fulfillment of AISSCE as prescribed by the

CBSE in the year 2023 - 2024.

Date: Teacher In-Charge

Internal Examiner External Examiner

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to sincerely thank my PHYSICS teacher

Mr. K.C. SHUKLA for his able guidance and support
in completing my project

I would like to extend my gratitude to my principal

Mrs. REENA MISHRA for providing me with all

the facilities that were required in satisfactorily

completing my project.

( PANDEY YOGESH RAJESH )

 TOPIC

Investigatory Project on
TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION
 INTRODUCTION
 OPTICAL DESCRIPTION
 CRITICAL ANGLE
 PHASE SHIFT upon TIR
 TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION IN
DIAMOND
 APPLICATIONS OF TOTAL
INTERNAL REFLECTION
 EXAMPLE IN EVERYDAY LIFE
 BIBLOGRAPHY
 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 semicircular 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 givesdiamondstheir
distinctivesparkle, 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. The critical angle
is given by Snell's law.
n1sin θi=n2 sin θt

Rearranging Snell's Law, we get incidence

n2
sin θi= sin θ n1 t
θi θt=90 °
To find the critical angle, we find the value for when
sin θt=1
and thus .The resulting value of is equal to the critical
θc
angle .
θi
Now, we can solve for , and we get the equation for the
critical angle:
n θc=θi=sin−
1(2)
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

−1 1.00
θc=sin ( )=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. The diagram to the left depicts the total
internal reflection within a diamond gemstone with a 'strategic'
and a 'non-strategic' cut.
 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 mirrorlike.

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
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