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RE: REFRACTION - REFLECTION



Dear David-
You ask:
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We discussed total internal reflection in my high school class this week
and one student had a question I was not sure about answering. He asked:

It is relatively easy to understand the macroscopic interaction light
has as it passes from water to air and bends as it does so due to a
change in the velocity of the light. But, what is the interaction that
occurs if the light reaches the surface with an angle of incidence
greater than the critical angle? What is really happening in this
situation and how is it different from the situation when the angle is
less than the critical angle?

I was not sure how to answer, can anyone help? Thanks.
--
David Abineri dabineri@dot-net.net
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The correct reply is: "I don't know, but let's see if anyone
else does."
Then start looking in textbooks to see how others have explained
the phenomenon. If no one has, then you are free to originate and publish
your own explanation. That's how "real physics" works. 95% of the time we
spend finding out what others have done while remedying areas of our own
ignorance.
Regards,
Jack