what light rays travel at the angle of internal reflection

Question and answer

Question

Asked 9/21/2008 12:53:40 PM

Updated 5/25/2025 3:40:37 PM

2 Answers/Comments

This conversation has been flagged as incorrect.

Get an answer

Search for an answer or ask Weegy.

Original conversation

User: what light rays travel at the angle of internal reflection

Weegy: Total internal reflection is an optical phenomenon that occurs when a ray of light strikes a medium boundary at an angle larger than the critical angle with respect to the normal to the surface. [ If the refractive index is lower on the other side of the boundary no light can pass through, so effectively all of the light is reflected. The critical angle is the angle of incidence above which the total internal reflection occurs. When light crosses a boundary between materials with different refractive indices, the light beam will be partially refracted at the boundary surface, and partially reflected. However, if the angle of incidence is greater (i.e. the ray is closer to being parallel to the boundary) than the critical angle — the angle of incidence at which light is refracted such that it travels along the boundary — then the light will stop crossing the boundary altogether and instead be totally reflected back internally. This can only occur where light travels from a medium with a higher refractive index to one with a lower refractive index. For example, it will occur when passing from glass to air, but not when passing from air to glass. ]

Question

Asked 9/21/2008 12:53:40 PM

Updated 5/25/2025 3:40:37 PM

2 Answers/Comments

This conversation has been flagged as incorrect.

New answers

Rating

Whitecæt

Light rays that travel at or above the critical angle between two mediums undergo total internal reflection and reflect entirely within the denser medium.

Added 5/25/2025 3:40:31 PM

This answer has been confirmed as correct and helpful.

Comments

Whitecæt

[Deleted]

Added 5/25/2025 3:40:20 PM

Deleted by Whitecæt [5/25/2025 3:40:23 PM]

Add an answer or comment

Questions asked by the same visitor

What is total internal reflection?

(More)

Question

Updated 11/7/2016 11:30:52 PM

1 Answer/Comment

yumdrea

Total internal reflection is the phenomenon which occurs when a propagated wave strikes a medium boundary at an angle larger than a particular critical angle with respect to the normal to the surface.

Added 11/7/2016 11:30:52 PM

This answer has been confirmed as correct and helpful.