Can a Critical Angle Occur When Light Passes from Water to Glass?

Thread starter jsalapide
Start date Sep 5, 2009
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Homework Homework problem Refraction

AI Thread Summary

The discussion centers on whether a critical angle can occur when light transitions from water to glass, with water having a refractive index of 1.33 and glass 1.5. The formula for calculating the critical angle is correctly noted as sin(critical angle) = n1/n2. It is clarified that the numerator (n1) should represent the medium with the lower refractive index, which in this case is water. Total internal reflection can only happen when light moves from a medium with a higher refractive index to one with a lower index. Therefore, a critical angle does not exist in this scenario.

Sep 5, 2009

jsalapide

Is it possible for the critical angle to exist when light goes from water (n=1.33) into glass (n=1.5)?

My used the formula sin(critical angle) = n1/n2.

I'm a bit confused, should the numerator(n1) always be less dense compared to the denominator(n2).

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Sep 5, 2009

mgb_phys

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Total internal reflection occurs at the boundary of light in a higher n meeting a material of lower n

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