What is the approximate critical angle for total internal reflection for diamond if the refractive index of diamond is 2.42?
Answer Details
The critical angle for total internal reflection is the angle of incidence at which the angle of refraction is 90 degrees. This happens when light travels from a medium with a higher refractive index to a medium with a lower refractive index.
The formula for calculating the critical angle is:
critical angle = sin⁻¹(n2/n1)
where n1 is the refractive index of the medium where the incident ray is traveling, and n2 is the refractive index of the medium where the refracted ray would travel.
In this case, the incident medium is diamond, with a refractive index of 2.42. The refracted medium would be the air outside the diamond, with a refractive index of approximately 1. Therefore, we can substitute these values into the formula:
critical angle = sin⁻¹(1/2.42)
Using a calculator, we can evaluate this expression to get:
critical angle = 24.41 degrees (approx.)
Therefore, the approximate critical angle for total internal reflection for diamond is approximately 24 degrees.
So the correct answer is option D: 24o.