In which of the following scenarios will total internal reflection NOT occur?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
In which of the following scenarios will total internal reflection NOT occur?
Light traveling from diamond to air
Light traveling from water to air
Light traveling from air to glass
Light traveling from glass to air
Total internal reflection cannot occur when light travels from a rarer medium (air) to a denser medium (glass).
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: In which of the following scenarios will total internal reflection NOT occur?
Solution: Total internal reflection cannot occur when light travels from a rarer medium (air) to a denser medium (glass).
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand what total internal reflection is. It happens when light tries to move from a denser medium to a rarer medium and hits the boundary at a certain angle.
Step 2: Identify the types of mediums. A rarer medium is one that is less dense (like air), and a denser medium is one that is more dense (like glass).
Step 3: Remember the rule for total internal reflection: it only occurs when light goes from a denser medium to a rarer medium.
Step 4: Analyze the scenario given in the question. If light is traveling from air (rarer) to glass (denser), it does not meet the condition for total internal reflection.
Step 5: Conclude that total internal reflection will NOT occur in this scenario.
