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Important Questions

Refraction of light at a Plane Interface: Total Internal Reflection: Optical Fibre

ICSE · Class 12 · Physics

Most important questions from Refraction of light at a Plane Interface: Total Internal Reflection: Optical Fibre for ICSE Class 12 Physics board exam 2026. MCQs, short answer, and long answer questions with marks.

44 questions34 flashcards5 concepts

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44 Questions·
multiple choice

Sample Questions

1multiple choice
1 marks

A right-angled isosceles glass prism (angles 45°–90°–45°) is used as a totally reflecting prism. A ray enters normally through the hypotenuse face. At which face(s) does total internal reflection occur, and in what direction does the ray finally emerge? (Refractive index of glass = 1.5, critical ang

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TIR at each 45° face; ray emerges anti-parallel to the incident ray (turned 180°)

Step 1: When light enters through the hypotenuse face normally (perpendicular), it travels straight inside and hits one of the 45° faces. Step 2: At this face, the angle of incidence = 45° > critical angle (42°), so TIR occurs. Step 3: The ray reflects and travels to the second 45° face, again at 45° > 42°, so TIR occurs again. Step 4: After two TIRs at the 45° faces, the ray emerges through the hypotenuse anti-parallel (180° reversed) to the original direction. Step 5: This prism is used as a 'reversing prism' in binoculars. Option B describes a simple reflecting prism (entry through 45° face

2multiple choice
1 marks

A tank filled with water (n = 4/3) has a small bulb at the bottom at a depth of 75 cm. The radius of the circle on the water surface through which light can escape is:

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85.0 cm

Step 1: sin C = 1/n = 3/4. Step 2: cos C = √(1 – 9/16) = √(7/16) = √7/4. Step 3: tan C = sin C / cos C = (3/4) / (√7/4) = 3/√7. Step 4: Radius r = h × tan C = 75 × (3/√7) = 225/√7 = 225/2.6458 ≈ 85.0 cm. Step 5: The area through which light can escape is πr². Here the question asks for radius = 85.0 cm. Option A uses sin C instead of tan C; Option C uses tan C = 1; Option D uses an incorrect value of tan C.

3multiple choice
1 marks

A ray of light in glass (n_glass = 1.5) is incident at a glass-water interface at the critical angle for that interface. What is the critical angle? (n_water = 4/3, correct to nearest degree)

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62.7°

Step 1: For the glass-water interface, the critical angle C is where the refracted ray in water makes 90° with the normal. Step 2: sin C = n_water / n_glass = (4/3) / (3/2) = (4/3) × (2/3) = 8/9. Step 3: sin C = 8/9 = 0.8889. Step 4: C = sin⁻¹(0.8889) ≈ 62.7°. Step 5: This is larger than the glass-air critical angle (≈41.8°) because water is denser than air, so a larger angle is needed for TIR at glass-water interface. Option A (48.6°) is the water-air critical angle; Option B (41.8°) is the glass-air critical angle; Option D is an incorrect calculation.

4multiple choice
1 marks

A microscope is focused on a mark on the bottom of a beaker. The microscope is raised by 2.4 cm. To what height must water (n = 4/3) be poured to bring the mark back into focus?

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9.6 cm

Step 1: When the microscope is raised by 2.4 cm, the normal displacement of the image must equal 2.4 cm to refocus the mark. Step 2: The normal displacement formula is: d = t(1 – 1/n), where t is the height of water. Step 3: 2.4 = t(1 – 1/(4/3)) = t(1 – 3/4) = t × (1/4). Step 4: t = 2.4 × 4 = 9.6 cm. Step 5: So water must be poured to a height of 9.6 cm. Option A (7.2 cm) uses d = t × (1/3) incorrectly; Option B (3.2 cm) uses t = d × (4/3); Option D (6.4 cm) uses d = t × (3/8).

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What are the important topics in Refraction of light at a Plane Interface: Total Internal Reflection: Optical Fibre for ICSE Class 12 Physics?
Key topics in Refraction of light at a Plane Interface: Total Internal Reflection: Optical Fibre include Chapter Overview: Refraction of Light at Plane Interface, Chapter Concept Map: Refraction and Total Internal Reflection, Flowchart showing the application of Snell's law based on the direction of light travel between media. These are the concepts ICSE Class 12 examiners draw on most — study them first, then practise related questions.
How to score full marks in Refraction of light at a Plane Interface: Total Internal Reflection: Optical Fibre — ICSE Class 12 Physics?
Understand the core concepts first, then work through the 44 practice questions available for this chapter. Revise formulas and definitions regularly, and use flashcards for quick recall before the exam.
How many important questions are there in Refraction of light at a Plane Interface: Total Internal Reflection: Optical Fibre?
There are 44 practice questions available for Refraction of light at a Plane Interface: Total Internal Reflection: Optical Fibre. These cover multiple question types including MCQs, short answer, and long answer questions.

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