Question:

Brilliance of diamond is due to

Updated On: Sep 12, 2022
  • shape
  • reflection
  • cutting
  • total internal reflection
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Diamonds shines due to the phenomena of total internal reflection. Whenever light travels from a denser to a rarer medium at an angle greater than the critical angle, it gets reflected back.  The critical angle is inversely proportional to the refractive index of the medium. Since the refractive index of air is \(1.00029\) and that of diamond is \(2.42\), therefore the critical angle for diamond is very low (24°). Hence, all the light incident on its surface gets reflected due to total internal reflection. 

Total internal reflection can only occur when:

  • Light enters from a denser medium into a rarer medium. 
  • The angle of incidence of light is greater than the critical angle of the medium. 
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Concepts Used:

Ray Optics and Optical Instruments

Optics, deals with the determination of behaviour and the properties of light, along with its interactions with the matter and also with the instruments that are used to detect it.

Ray optics is also known as the geometrical optics and it is a branch of science which describes light propagation.

Reflection is the change in direction of light at an interface in-between two different media so that the wave-front returns into a medium from which it was originated.

Speed of light is the rate at which the light travels in free space.

A phenomenal change in image formed when the light is passed from one medium to another which is called Refraction.

Total Internal Reflection is the reflection of light when the light ray enters into a rarer medium from a denser medium and the angle of incidence is higher than the critical angle of incidence then that light ray will be reflected back to the denser medium.

Read More: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments