You have a layer of glass with a refractive index of 1.5 and the glass is surrounded by air. A light ray shines into the glass and Total Internal Reflection occurs at the glass-air boundary. What is the critical angle?

This question tests your knowledge of Snell's law, Total Internal Reflection (TIR) and the fact that the refractive index of air is 1 (which should be memorised as it is in the exam). The critical angle is the angle at which TIR occurs, which can be calculated with the equation from Snell's law that relates angle of incident and refraction with the two refractive indices. The trick here is to use the angle of refraction as 90 degrees to apply the condition of TIR.

KC
Answered by Kelvin C. Physics tutor

3654 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Draw and describe the major points of a typical stress-strain graph for a metal.


Explain how a standing wave is set up on a string fixed at both ends.


Describe how the average density of matter in the universe affects its ultimate fate?


What do I need to do for full marks on the question "describe an everyday circumstance where resonance occurs (4 marks)"?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning