Question:medium

The refractive index of glass is 1.5 and that of water is 1.33. The critical angle for a ray of light going from glass to water is

Show Hint

The sine of an angle can never exceed 1. When setting up your critical angle fraction, always place the smaller refractive index in the numerator: $\sin\theta_c = \frac{\mu_{\text{small}}}{\mu_{\text{large}}}$. This rule guarantees you will not accidentally invert the fraction.
Updated On: Jun 4, 2026
  • $\sin^{-1}\left(\frac{4}{7}\right)$
  • $\sin^{-1}\left(\frac{5}{8}\right)$
  • $\sin^{-1}\left(\frac{8}{9}\right)$
  • $\sin^{-1}\left(\frac{2}{3}\right)$
Show Solution

The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: The set up.
Light goes from glass into water. Glass has refractive index $1.5$ and water $1.33$. Glass is the denser medium and water is the rarer one. We need the critical angle, the angle beyond which light cannot leave the glass.
Step 2: The critical angle rule.
When light passes from a denser medium to a rarer one, the critical angle $\theta_c$ obeys \[ \sin\theta_c = \frac{\mu_{\text{rarer}}}{\mu_{\text{denser}}} \] Here the rarer medium is water and the denser is glass.
Step 3: Use neat fractions.
Write the indices as simple fractions: \[ \mu_{\text{glass}} = 1.5 = \frac{3}{2}, \qquad \mu_{\text{water}} = 1.33 \approx \frac{4}{3} \]
Step 4: Substitute.
\[ \sin\theta_c = \frac{\mu_{\text{water}}}{\mu_{\text{glass}}} = \frac{\,4/3\,}{\,3/2\,} \]
Step 5: Simplify the stacked fraction.
Dividing by $3/2$ is the same as multiplying by $2/3$: \[ \sin\theta_c = \frac{4}{3} \times \frac{2}{3} = \frac{8}{9} \]
Step 6: Write the angle.
\[ \theta_c = \sin^{-1}\!\left(\frac{8}{9}\right) \] This is option (3). \[ \boxed{\theta_c = \sin^{-1}\!\left(\frac{8}{9}\right)} \]
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