A beam of light traveling in water ( ) strikes a flat boundary with glass ( )
PHYSICS · Single correct · CBSE · Physics · Ray Optics and Optical Instruments · Ray Optics and Optical Instruments
Problem
A beam of light traveling in water (n=1.33) strikes a flat boundary with glass (n=1.50). Which of the following statements correctly describes whether total internal reflection can occur at this boundary?
(a) It can occur provided the incident angle in water exceeds the critical angle of approximately 62∘.
(b) It cannot occur because the water’s index is smaller than the glass’s, so the refracted ray inside the glass never reaches 90∘ regardless of the incident angle.
(c) It can occur only if the light is polarized parallel to the interface.
(d) It cannot occur because the smaller index of water makes the critical angle 0∘, causing all light to refract.