Total Internal Reflection Demonstrator
Critical angle visualization with practical applications and interactive physics
Material Interface Selection
Dense Medium (n₁)
Rare Medium (n₂)
Ray Parameters
Visualization Options
Light traveling from Glass (n₁ = 1.50) to Air (n₂ = 1.00)
Total internal reflection occurs when light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium
and the incident angle exceeds the critical angle. For glass-air interface, the critical angle is 41.8°.
This phenomenon is utilized in optical fibers, prisms, and creates the brilliance in diamonds.
1.50
n₁ (Dense)
1.00
n₂ (Rare)
1.50
n₁/n₂
41.8°
θc
Real-World Applications
Optical Fibers
Light guidance in telecommunications
Diamond Sparkle
Brilliance from total reflection
Prisms
Light deviation and reflection
Mirages
Atmospheric optical illusions
Critical Angle Formula
θc = sin⁻¹(n₂/n₁)
Ray Legend & Interface Guide
Incident Ray
Refracted Ray
Reflected Ray
Normal Line
Critical Ray
Interface