What Is the Maximum Angle of Incidence for Light in Diamond?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a cubic container filled with air, water, glycerin, and diamond, where the objective is to determine the maximum angle of incidence for light traveling through these substances without total internal reflection occurring at any interface.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the concept of critical angles at the interfaces between different media and the conditions under which light can pass through without being reflected. There is an attempt to visualize the problem by drawing diagrams and considering the path of light through the various substances.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered guidance on how to approach the problem by considering the critical angles and the order of the media. However, there is a lack of clarity for some participants regarding the reasoning and steps involved in determining the maximum angle of incidence.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of the relationship between the densities of the materials and their indices of refraction, which may influence the behavior of light as it transitions between the substances.

dranseth
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Homework Statement



A cubic container contains air, water, glycerin, amd diamond. There are no spaces between, and all boundaries are parallel. For light to travel through all of the substances, what is the maximum angle of incidence of the light ray in the diamond?

Homework Equations



(n)(sin(critical angle))=(n)(sin(90º)
n= index of refraction

The Attempt at a Solution



Basically, I drew it out, found all the critical angles, got confused, then came here.
 
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Start with considering the emergent ray in the air, and let that one get out at 90 deg in the air. So, the ray from the water to air is at the critical angle. Now work your way backward.
 
I don't understand.
 
The light ray travels from the diamond to glycerin to water to air. If at any of the interfaces, the angle is greater than the critical angle between those two media, it'll be reflected back and won't reach the air. At the last interface, that is, between water and air, it can just come out at 90 deg.

Note that the densities of the materials are also in same order as the RIs of the materials, so the light ray keeps on bending to the same side.
 

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