Science Refraction Activity 1.5 - Total Internal Reflection

Total Internal Reflection

Advantages

- Can be faster than speed of light c in vaccuum

- Difficult to obstruct

- Clear and accurate

- If the prism is small enough, less light energy would be lost compared to a mirror

Applications

- Optical fibers, which are used in endoscopes and telecommunications.
- Rain sensors to control automatic windscreen/windshield wipers.
- Another interesting application of total internal reflection is the spatial filtering of light.
- Prismatic binoculars use the principle of total internal reflections to get a very clear image
- Some multi-touch screens use frustrated total internal reflection in combination with a camera and appropriate software to pick up multiple targets.
- Gonioscopy to view the anatomical angle formed between the eye's cornea and iris.
- Gait analysis instrument, CatWalk, uses frustrated total internal reflection in combination with a high speed camera to capture and analyze footprints of laboratory rodents.
- Fingerprinting devices, which use frustrated total internal reflection in order to record an image of a person's fingerprint without the use of ink.
- Flashlights lenses.