physgrl said:i get an error :/
Good so far.physgrl said:n1=n2*sinβc-in-air
n1=1/sin(37.3)
βc-in-water=sin-1(n2/n1)
Oops. I think the 1/sin bit has thrown you for your n2/n1 expression. n2 here is that of water, 1.33, so it should be in the numerator. 1/sin(37.3) should comprise the denominator.βc-in-water=sin-1(1/sin(37.3)*1.33)
physgrl said:so then it should be:
βc-in-water=sin-1(sin(37.3)*1.33)
so n2 is the material from which it comes from if β2 is the critical angle and in this case i comes from the water/air to the mysterious medium right? i think i was confusing which medium was 1 and which was 2 in my mind
The critical angle in optics is the angle of incidence at which light is refracted along the surface of a medium, rather than passing through it. This angle is dependent on the refractive indices of the two media, and typically occurs when light travels from a higher refractive index medium to a lower refractive index medium.
The critical angle can be calculated using Snell's Law, which states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is equal to the ratio of the refractive indices of the two media. The critical angle occurs when the angle of refraction is 90 degrees, making the sine of the angle of refraction equal to 1.
When the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle, total internal reflection occurs. This means that all of the light is reflected back into the original medium, rather than being refracted into the second medium. This phenomenon is commonly seen in fiber optic cables and prism experiments.
Yes, the critical angle can be changed by altering the refractive indices of the two media. This can be achieved by changing the temperature or pressure of the media, or by introducing a third medium with a different refractive index. The critical angle can also be changed by changing the wavelength of the incident light.
The critical angle has several practical applications in optics. One example is in fiber optic communication, where total internal reflection is used to transmit signals through the fiber. Another example is in the design of optical lenses, where the critical angle is used to ensure that light is properly refracted to create an image. The critical angle is also important in the study of optics and light, providing insights into the behavior of light at the interface of different mediums.