Difference between Reflection and Total Internal Reflection of light
Last updated on April 14th, 2021 at 05:12 pm
Total Internal Reflection and Reflection are two different phenomena related to Light. Here we will talk about the difference between Reflection and Total Internal Reflection of light.
Difference between Reflection and Total Internal Reflection of light
1] For Total Internal Reflection to happen the light ray has to pass from an optically denser medium to an optically rarer medium and has to strike the separating surface with an angle of incidence more than the critical angle of the 2 media concerned. But for the Reflection of light to happen a ray of light can pass from any medium ( no optical density constraints) and strike the reflecting surface with any angle.
2] Total Internal Reflection reflects the light entirely, but the reflection of light reflects the light partially, the rest of the incident light gets refracted and absorbed at the surface.
3] In Total Internal Reflection, there is no loss of energy of the incident ray of light and the entire energy is available in the reflected(total internal reflected) ray. But in the case of Reflection, the reflected light has less energy than the incident ray, because of refraction and absorption of light.
