For total internal reflection, rays of light must go from:
Rarer to denser medium
Rarer to rarer medium
Denser to rarer medium
Denser to denser medium
A
Rarer to denser medium
B
Rarer to rarer medium
C
Denser to denser medium
D
Denser to rarer medium
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Solution
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When light travels from one medium to another it changes speed and is refracted. If the light rays are travelling for a less dense material to a dense medium they are refracted towards the normal and if they are travelling from a dense to less dense medium they are refracted away from the normal. For total internal reflection to occur the light must travel from a dense medium to a less dense medium (e.g. glass to air or water to air). As the angle of incidence increases so does the angle of refraction. When the angle of incidence reaches a value known as the critical angle the refracted rays travel along the surface of the medium or in other words are refracted to an angle of 90. Were as if light goes from rarer to denser then angle of refraction will never reach. So in order for total internal reflection to take place;
The rays of light must travel from a dense medium to a less dense medium.
The angle of incidence must be greater than the critical angle.
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Total internal reflection can happen only when light ray passes from denser to rarer medium.
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