Determining Angle wrt to normal of a curved surface

In summary, The speaker is struggling with a thought experiment involving waveguides and light rays. They are trying to determine the angle at which a light ray would hit the edge of a curved tube, as opposed to a straight tube. The speaker is not confident in their geometry skills and is seeking help. They believe that with certain materials, light may be able to escape from a curved waveguide but not from a straight waveguide.
  • #1
chlorine addi
3
0
Okay, sorry another question. I know I'm being a total idiot but I'm in a brain-stick (I just made that up) and I can't seem to get out of it. Anyways, I'm doing a little thought experiment about waveguides, which act like fiber optics. So I have a tube and a light ray travels through it. It starts from the center of the entrance of the tube, which lies in the x-y plane, and the center is the origin. If the fiber optic was straight, the light ray would travel 9.52 degrees with respect to the z axis away from the origin. If the fiber optic was straight, the light ray would hit the edge of the tube at blah-blah distance in the z direction and blah-blah distance in the y direction and have hit 80.48 degrees with respect to the surface it hit.

But what if instead the fiber optic was curved? Curved in a circle of known radius? Then the light ray would hit the edge of the tube earlier, correct? And at a different angle with respect to the normal surface of the tube? How would I go about figuring out that angle?? Ugh, I was never good at geometry.

I've included a picture with the post to help make sense of my nonsensical ranting. I want the angle "a" from the red line to the blue line in the right-hand picture. NOT the angle from the red to the pink, that is just 80.48.

I hope that makes sense and thanks SOOOOO much to anyone who can help me. Geometry is my weakest math subject, haha.

P.S. sorry the picture is bad quality, I'm impatient :)
 

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  • #2
i have a hunch that with the right materials involved (water inside the tube and quartz of thickness 0.15mm outside) that light can escape from a curved waveguide but not from a straight waveguide. that's why I'm asking haha. i just can't do the geometry!
 

1. What is the normal of a curved surface?

The normal of a curved surface is a line that is perpendicular to the surface at a specific point. It represents the direction in which a surface is facing at that point.

2. How is the angle measured with respect to the normal of a curved surface?

The angle is measured between the normal and a reference line on the surface, such as a tangent line or the horizontal line. It is typically measured in degrees or radians.

3. Why is it important to determine the angle with respect to the normal of a curved surface?

Knowing the angle with respect to the normal is important in understanding the orientation and curvature of a surface. It is also necessary for calculating forces and stresses acting on the surface.

4. What are some methods for determining the angle with respect to the normal of a curved surface?

One method is to use a protractor to measure the angle between the normal and the reference line. Another method is to use mathematical equations or computer programs to calculate the angle based on the surface's geometry.

5. Can the angle with respect to the normal of a curved surface change at different points?

Yes, the angle can vary at different points on a curved surface. This is because the normal and reference line will also change at different points, resulting in a different angle measurement.

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