3(vii)
Advanced optical sensors in missiles use fibre optic cables to transmit light signals with minimal loss. This relies on a physical phenomenon that confines light within the fibres, making the system very dependable for guiding the missile precisely.
(a) Name the optical phenomenon that allows light signals to remain confined within the fibre optic cables during transmission.
(b) List the two main conditions necessary for this phenomenon to occur.
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(a) Total internal reflection.
(b) The two necessary conditions for total internal reflection are :
- The light must travel from an optically denser medium to an optically rarer medium.
- The angle of incidence in the denser medium must be greater than the critical angle for that pair of media.