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Difference between internal reflection and total internal reflection

-Reflection and total internal reflection are physical properties of waves. Reflection occurs in all kind of waves like sound, water etc. but total internal reflection occurs only with light rays.

· Total internal reflection occurs when light passes through denser medium to the lighter medium. But for reflection there is no such restriction to consider.

· In reflection of a wave, both reflection and refraction (passing through second medium) waves occur. But in total internal reflection, only reflection ray is occurs no refraction is allowed.

· In total internal reflection, energy of incident ray and reflected ray are equal. However, in reflection it does not.

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You know that when you have a light ray going from an object with a high refractive index to a lower one, light refracts AWAY from the normal. Eventually you reach an angle when it refracts at a 90 degree angle, in other words directly along the surface of the object. The angle of incidence at which this occurs is called the critical angle, and if you increase the angle of incidence beyond the critical angle you no longer get any refraction. You get total internal reflection instead.
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You know that when you have a light ray going from an object with a high refractive index to a lower one, light refracts AWAY from the normal. Eventually you reach an angle when it refracts at a 90 degree angle, in other words directly along the surface of the object. The angle of incidence at which this occurs is called the critical angle, and if you increase the angle of incidence beyond the critical angle you no longer get any refraction. You get total internal reflection instead.

  • 2

You know that when you have a light ray going from an object with a high refractive index to a lower one, light refracts AWAY from the normal. Eventually you reach an angle when it refracts at a 90 degree angle, in other words directly along the surface of the object. The angle of incidence at which this occurs is called the critical angle, and if you increase the angle of incidence beyond the critical angle you no longer get any refraction. You get total internal reflection instead.

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