Question

What is the critical angle of diamond in air ?

Answer 1

24.4° (if the refractive index of diamond is 2.42)

Step-by-step explanation

The critical angle is the incidence angle at which the angle of refraction is 90°,

By Snell's Law, we have that the critical angle is,

`\theta_c=\sin^(-1)\left((n_2)/(n_1)\right)`

For n₁ > n₂.

In this case, we have to find the critical angle of diamond in air, so if the refractive index of diamond is n₁ = 2.42, the refractive index of air is n₂ = 1, then the critical angle is,

`\theta_c=\sin^(-1)\left((1)/(2.42)\right)\approx24.4\degree`

Hence, the critical angle of diamond in air is 24.4°, rounded to the nearest tenth of a degree.