Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Hold down the T key for 3 seconds to activate the audio accessibility mode, at which point you can click the K key to pause and resume audio. Useful for the Check Your Understanding and See Answers.

Mission RL5 Total Internal Reflection (TIR) - Question Group 10 Help

 The Question

The diagrams show incident rays approaching a boundary with a second medium. The relative density (d) of the two media is indicated. In which diagram(s) will total internal reflection occur (provided that the angle of incidence is sufficiently large)?

 Physics Rules
Requirements for Total Internal Reflection (TIR):
Two requirements must be met for total internal reflection to occur. First, light must be in the more dense medium heading toward the boundary with the least dense medium. Second, light must be approaching the boundary with an angle of incidence that is greater than the value of the so-called critical angle.
 Think About It

As mentioned in the Know the Law section, TIR can only take place provided that the incident ray is traveling within the more dense medium. To be successful on this question, you will have to inspect each diagram carefully to determine if it satisfies the condition of light being in the more dense medium and heading towards the least dense medium.