Q.You are given four sources of light each one providing a light of a single colour – red, blue, green and yellow. Suppose the angle of refraction for a beam of yellow light corresponding to a particular angle of incidence at the interface of two media is 90∘. Which of the following statements is correct if the source of yellow light is replaced with that of other lights without changing the angle of incidence?
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🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Critical Angle Comparison
Critical Angle Comparison: From Intuition to Precision
Imagine you're standing at the edge of a swimming pool, looking down at a coin at the bottom. The coin appears closer to the surface than it actually is. That's refraction — light bends when it moves from water into air. Now imagine tilting your head so you're looking at the coin from a very shallow angle. At some point, the coin suddenly vanishes. You can't see it anymore, no matter how hard you try. That vanishing point is the critical angle.
The Intuition
Light travels at different speeds in different materials. When it crosses from a denser medium (like water or glass) into a rarer medium (like air), it bends away from the normal (the imaginary line perpendicular to the surface). The larger the angle of incidence (the angle at which light hits the boundary), the more it bends away.
At a certain angle of incidence, the refracted ray bends so much that it runs exactly along the surface — it makes a 90° angle with the normal. That's the critical angle. If you increase the angle of incidence even slightly beyond this, the light can't escape at all. It reflects back into the denser medium, a phenomenon called total internal reflection.
Critical angle only exists when light travels from a denser medium to a rarer medium. Going the other way (rarer to denser), light always bends toward the normal — no critical angle, no total internal reflection.
The Precise Statement
The critical angle (θc) is the angle of incidence in the denser medium for which the angle of refraction in the rarer medium is exactly 90°.
Mathematically, from Snell's law:
n1sinθ1=n2sinθ2
Let medium 1 be the denser medium (refractive index n1) and medium 2 be the rarer medium (refractive index n2, with n2<n1). At the critical angle, θ1=θc and θ2=90∘, so sinθ2=1. This gives:
n1sinθc=n2×1
sinθc=n1n2
Where:
- θc = critical angle
- n1 = refractive index of the denser medium
- n2 = refractive index of the rarer medium
What This Tells You
The critical angle depends only on the ratio of the two refractive indices. A larger difference between n1 and n2 means a smaller critical angle — light is more "trapped" inside the denser medium. For example:
| Medium pair | n1 (denser) | n2 (rarer) | θc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water → Air | 1.33 | 1.00 | ≈48.8∘ |
| Glass → Air | 1.50 | 1.00 | ≈41.8∘ |
| Diamond → Air | 2.42 | 1.00 | ≈24.4∘ |
The critical angle depends on colour: nred<nyellow<ngreen<nblue, so Cred>Cyellow>Cgreen>Cblue (since sinC=n2/n1).
The given incidence angle equals yellow's critical angle, i=Cyellow. Since Cred>i, red still refracts (bending away from the normal, as always happens on entering a rarer medium). Since Cgreen<i and Cblue<i, both green and blue exceed their own critical angles and undergo total internal reflec …
Refractive index increases from red to blue (nred<nyellow<ngreen<nblue), so the critical angle C=sin−1(n2/n1) decreases from red to blue. At the fixed angle of incidence i=Cyellow, red's own critical angle is larger than i (so red still refracts) while green's and blue's are smaller than i (so both undergo total internal reflection). Only statement (c) — blue undergoes total internal reflection — is true.
Setting up
The angle of refraction for yellow light is given as 90∘ for a particular angle of incidence i. An angle of refraction of 90∘ means the refracted ray grazes the interface — by definition, this happens exactly when the angle of incidence equals the critical angle for that colour:
i=Cyellow
The same angle of incidence i is kept fixed as the source is swapped to red, blue, and green.
How the critical angle changes with colour
For an ordinary dispersive medium (normal dispersion), the refractive index increases as wavelength decreases:
nred<nyellow<ngreen<nblue
The critical angle for light going from the denser medium (n1) to the rarer medium (n2) is
sinC=n1n2
Since n2 (the rarer medium) is the same for every colour, a larger n1 gives a smaller C. So the critical angles are ordered exactly opposite to the refractive indices:
Cred>Cyellow>Cgreen>Cblue
and i=Cyellow sits in the middle of this list.
Checking each option
- Red — Cred>i, so the incidence angle i is less than red's own critical angle. Red is refracted, not totally internally reflected. (a) is false.
- Since red is refracted (going from the denser medium into the rarer medium), it bends away from the normal, not towards it — that is how refraction into a rarer medium always works. (b) is false. …
Method: Predicting TIR Outcomes When Swapping Colours at a Fixed Angle of Incidence
This method solves problems where one colour is stated to refract at exactly 90∘ (i.e. it sits exactly at its own critical angle) at a given, fixed angle of incidence, and you must predict what happens to other colours at that SAME incidence angle.
Steps
Step 1: Translate "refraction angle =90∘" into a critical-angle statement
If a colour's refracted ray grazes the interface (r=90∘), the given angle of incidence for that colour IS its critical angle: i=θc,that colour.
Step 2: Recall how critical angle depends on colour
Since θc=sin−1(n2/n1) and refractive index increases as wavelength decreases (violet/blue > green > yellow > red), critical angle moves the opposite way: red has the largest critical angle, violet/blue the smallest.
Step 3: Rank every other colour's critical angle relative to the reference colour's
Using the ordering from Step 2, decide for each new colour whether its own critical angle is larger or smaller than the reference colour's (and hence than the fixed incidence angle from Step 1). …
Showing the 12 most recent of 16 on this concept.
- TG EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-09-FN1 markMCQQ.A flag on a boat at rest is fluttering in the south-east direction when the wind is blowing at a speed of 72 kmph. If the boat starts moving towards south with a speed of 362 kmph, then the direction of the flag on the boat is (A) South (B) West (C) North (D) East
›Reveal solutionSolution
The flag points opposite to the relative wind direction. Initially the wind is from the northwest (southeast flutter). When the boat moves south, the relative wind shifts to the west, so the flag points east. The correct option is (D).
Concept & Intuition
A flag flutters in the direction the wind is blowing toward — that is, opposite to the direction the wind is coming from. When the boat is at rest, the flag flutters southeast, meaning the wind is blowing toward the southeast. Therefore the wind is coming from the northwest.
When the boat moves, the relative wind (wind relative to the boat) changes. The flag will flutter in the direction of this relative wind. So we need to find the vector sum: (wind velocity relative to ground) minus (boat velocity relative to ground). That gives the wind velocity as experienced by the boat.
Step-by-step solution
-
Interpret the initial condition
- Flag flutters southeast → wind blows toward southeast.
- So wind velocity vector vw points southeast.
- Southeast is exactly halfway between south and east, so its direction is 45∘ south of east (or equivalently 45∘ east of south).
- Speed: 72 km/h.
-
Write wind velocity in components
Take east as positive x, north as positive y.
Southeast means: east component positive, south component negative.
vw=72(cos45∘i^−sin45∘j^)=72(21i^−21j^)=362i^−362j^(km/h).
- Boat velocity Boat moves south at 362 km/h. South is negative y direction:
vb=−362j^.
- Relative wind velocity (as seen from the boat) The relative wind is the wind velocity minus the boat’s velocity:
vrel=vw−vb.
Substitute:
-
- TG EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-10-AN1 markMCQQ.When an object is placed at a distance of 40 cm from a convex lens, a real image is formed at a distance V from the lens. If the convex lens is replaced with a concave lens of same focal length, then the change in the position of the image is (A) (V−20)V(V−40) cm (B) (V−20)V(V+40) cm (C) (V+20)V(V−40) cm (D) (V+20)V(V+40) cm
›Reveal solutionSolution
Find f of the convex lens from the given real image, then locate the image made by a concave lens of the same ∣f∣; the shift is (V+20)V(V+40) cm (D).
Step 1 — Focal length of the convex lens.
With u=−40 cm and image distance v=+V (real):
V1−−401=f1⇒f1=40V40+V⇒f=40+V40V
Step 2 — Image with the concave lens.
A concave lens of the same focal length has f′=−f=−40+V40V. With the same object (u=−40):
v′1=f′1+u1=−40V40+V−401=−40V40+2V
v′=−40+2V40V=−20+V20V(virtual, on the object side) …
- TG EAPCET 2026Set ap-2026-05-05-FN1 markMCQQ.In hydrogen spectrum, if the longest wavelength of the spectral line in Balmer series is λ, then the shortest wavelength of the spectral line in Paschen series is (A) 5λ (B) 3.75λ (C) 2.5λ (D) 1.25λ
›Reveal solutionSolution
The key idea is to relate the longest Balmer wavelength (transition 3→2) to the shortest Paschen wavelength (transition ∞→3) using the Rydberg formula. The shortest Paschen wavelength is 45λ=1.25λ, so option (D) is correct.
The Balmer series corresponds to transitions ending at n=2, and the Paschen series to transitions ending at n=3. The longest wavelength in any series comes from the smallest energy gap — that is, the transition from the next higher level to the series limit. For Balmer, that's 3→2. The shortest wavelength in any series comes from the largest energy gap — the transition from infinity (ionization) to the series limit. For Paschen, that's ∞→3.
The Rydberg formula gives the wavenumber (inverse wavelength) for hydrogen:
λ1=R(nf21−ni21)
where R is the Rydberg constant. We'll apply it to both cases and relate the two wavelengths.
- Longest wavelength in Balmer series (nf=2, ni=3):
λ1=R(221−321)=R(41−91)=R(369−4)=365R
So λ=5R36.
- Shortest wavelength in Paschen series (nf=3, ni=∞):
λPaschen,min1=R(321−∞21)=R(91−0)=9R
Hence λPaschen,min=R9.
- Find the ratio: …
- TG EAPCET 2026Set ap-2026-05-05-FN1 markMCQQ.If the height of a transmitting antenna is 45 m and the height of the receiving antenna is H, then the maximum line-of-sight distance between the two antennas is 1% of the radius of the earth. If the radius of the earth is 6400 km, then the value of H is (A) 125 m (B) 75 m (C) 90 m (D) 150 m
›Reveal solutionSolution
The maximum line-of-sight distance between two antennas is limited by the Earth's curvature. By using the formula dM=2REhT+2REhR and the given total distance, the height of the receiving antenna is found to be 125 m.
The ability to communicate directly between two antennas, known as line-of-sight (LOS) communication, is limited by the curvature of the Earth. Even if there are no physical obstructions, the signal cannot travel infinitely far because the Earth curves away from the direct path. The maximum distance a signal can travel from an antenna before it dips below the horizon is determined by the antenna's height and the Earth's radius.
Consider an antenna of height h above the Earth's surface. A signal transmitted from this antenna travels in a straight line, tangent to the Earth's surface at the maximum line-of-sight point.
Let RE be the radius of the Earth and d be the maximum line-of-sight distance. We can form a right-angled triangle with vertices at the center of the Earth, the base of the antenna (or the point of tangency on the Earth's surface), and the top of the antenna.
›Proof
Derivation of maximum line-of-sight distance for a single antenna
Let O be the center of the Earth, A be the top of the antenna, and T be the point on the Earth's surface where the line of sight from A is tangent to the Earth.
The radius OT is perpendicular to the tangent line AT.
In the right-angled triangle △OAT:
OA=RE+h (radius of Earth plus antenna height)
OT=RE (radius of Earth)
AT=d (maximum line-of-sight distance)
By the Pythagorean theorem:
(RE+h)2=RE2+d2
Expanding the left side:
RE2+2REh+h2=RE2+d2
Subtracting RE2 from both sides:
2REh+h2=d2
Since the antenna height h is typically much smaller than the Earth's radius RE (h≪RE), the term h2 is negligible compared to 2REh.
Therefore, we can approximate:
d2≈2REh
d≈2REh
When there are two antennas, one transmitting at height hT and one receiving at height hR, the total maximum line-of-sight distance (dM) between them is the sum of the individual maximum line-of-sight distances from each antenna.
The maximum line-of-sight distance dM between two antennas of heights hT and hR is given by:
dM=2REhT+2REhR
where RE is the radius of the Earth.
Now, let's apply this concept to solve the problem.
-
Identify given values and ensure consistent units:
- Height of transmitting antenna, hT=45 m.
- Height of receiving antenna, hR=H.
- Radius of the Earth, RE=6400 km=6400×103 m=6.4×106 m.
- Maximum line-of-sight distance between the two antennas, dM=1% of RE. dM=0.01×6400 km=64 km=64×103 m.
-
Calculate the maximum line-of-sight distance from the transmitting antenna (dT):
Using the formula d=2REh: …
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- TG EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-02-FN1 markMCQQ.If A, B and C are three different physical quantities with different dimensional formulae, then the combination which can never give a proper physical quantity is (A) BCA (B) BCAB−C2 (C) BA−C (D) AC−B
›Reveal solutionSolution
The key idea is that only terms with identical dimensions can be added or subtracted; the combination that forces an impossible subtraction of unlike dimensions is the one that can never represent a proper physical quantity. The answer is option (C).
Concept and Intuition
In physics, when we write an equation that represents a real quantity, every term that is added to or subtracted from another must have the same dimensions. This is the principle of dimensional homogeneity. Multiplication and division, however, can combine different dimensions freely (e.g., speed = distance/time). So the danger lies in expressions that contain a sum or difference of terms with different dimensional formulae. If such a sum/difference appears and cannot be simplified away, the expression is dimensionally illegal and cannot represent a proper physical quantity.
Here, A, B, and C all have different dimensional formulae. So any expression that forces us to add or subtract A, B, or C directly (without them first being multiplied/divided into the same dimensions) is invalid.
Step-by-step analysis
-
Option (A): BCA
This is a pure product/quotient. No addition or subtraction. The dimensions are simply [A]/([B][C]), which is some valid combination. Possible.
-
Option (B): BCAB−C2
The numerator is AB−C2. For this subtraction to be allowed, AB and C2 must have the same dimensions.
- AB has dimensions [A][B].
- C2 has dimensions [C]2. Since A, B, C all have different dimensional formulae, it is possible that [A][B]=[C]2 (e.g., if A is length, B is time, C is sqrt(length×time) — though unusual, dimensionally it could match). The problem only says they are different, not that they are dimensionally unrelated in products. So this equality is not ruled out. Hence this expression could be valid for some specific choices of A, B, C. Not necessarily impossible.
-
Option (C): BA−C …
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- TG EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-02-FN1 markMCQQ.The angle of a prism made of a material of refractive index 2 is 90∘. The angle of incidence for a light ray on the first face of the prism such that the light ray suffers total internal reflection at the second face is (A) 0∘ (B) 90∘ (C) 60∘ (D) 45∘
›Reveal solutionSolution
The critical angle is 45∘; for a 90∘ prism the ray just reaches total internal reflection when r2=45∘, forcing r1=45∘ and hence a grazing incidence i=90∘ — option (B).
Concept
For refractive index 2, the critical angle satisfies sinC=21, so C=45∘. In a prism, r1+r2=A. Total internal reflection at the second face requires r2≥C; the limiting ray has r2=C=45∘.
Solution
Prism angle A=90∘=r1+r2. With r2=45∘: …
- TG EAPCET 2024Set eng-2024-05-09-AN1 markMCQQ.If you are using eye glasses of power 2D, your near point is (A) 25 cm (B) 50 cm (C) 43 cm (D) 32 cm
›Reveal solutionSolution
The power of a lens is the reciprocal of its focal length in metres. A +2 D lens has a focal length of 50 cm, which becomes the corrected near point for a hypermetropic eye. The correct option is (B).
The key concept here is corrective lenses for hypermetropia (farsightedness). A person with hypermetropia cannot see nearby objects clearly because the eye’s lens focuses the image behind the retina. The near point (the closest distance at which the eye can see clearly) is farther than the normal 25 cm. A convex lens of appropriate power is used to bring the image of an object placed at 25 cm to the person’s actual near point. The power of the lens tells us its focal length, and that focal length is the corrected near point when the lens is placed close to the eye (as in glasses).
Let’s work through it:
- Interpret the given power. The power of the glasses is P=+2D (the “+” indicates a convex lens, used for hypermetropia). The focal length f in metres is given by
f=P1=21=0.5m=50cm.
- Understand what this focal length means for the near point. …
- TG EAPCET 2024Set eng-2024-05-10-AN1 markMCQQ.The Brewster angle for air to glass transition of light is (Refractive index of glass = 1.5) (A) sin−1(23) (B) cos−1(23) (C) tan−1(23) (D) cos−1(32)
›Reveal solutionSolution
The Brewster angle is the angle of incidence at which reflected light is completely polarized, given by tanθB=n2/n1. For air (n1=1) to glass (n2=1.5), θB=tan−1(1.5)=tan−1(3/2), so the correct option is (C).
Concept & Intuition
The Brewster angle (also called the polarizing angle) is the special angle of incidence where light reflecting off a surface becomes perfectly polarized perpendicular to the plane of incidence. This happens because at that angle, the reflected and refracted rays are perpendicular to each other. Using Snell’s law and the condition 90∘ between reflected and transmitted rays, we derive tanθB=n2/n1. No sine or cosine appears — only tangent. A common mistake is to confuse Brewster’s law with Snell’s law or critical angle formulas.
Step-by-step reasoning
- Recall Brewster’s law When unpolarized light strikes a boundary between two media, the reflected light is completely polarized if the angle of incidence θB satisfies
tanθB=n1n2
where n1 is the refractive index of the incident medium and n2 of the transmitting medium.
- Identify the media Here light goes from air (n1=1) to glass (n2=1.5). So
tanθB=11.5=1.5=23.
- Solve for the angle Taking the inverse tangent of both sides:
θB=tan−1(23).
- Match with the options …
- TG EAPCET 2023Set ap-2023-05-11-AN1 markMCQQ.Arrange the following electromagnetic waves in the order of increasing frequency A. Microwaves B. Infrared waves C. Ultraviolet rays D. X-rays (A) A, B, C, D (B) D, C, B, A (C) B, C, A, D (D) D, A, C, B
›Reveal solutionSolution
The electromagnetic spectrum is ordered by frequency (or equivalently, by energy): radio/microwaves are lowest, then infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays are highest. Arranging the given waves in increasing frequency gives A, B, C, D.
Why frequency orders the electromagnetic spectrum
All electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light c in vacuum, related to frequency ν and wavelength λ by
c=νλ.
Higher frequency means shorter wavelength and higher photon energy (E=hν). The electromagnetic spectrum spans an enormous range—more than 20 orders of magnitude—and different regions interact with matter in characteristic ways. Microwaves excite molecular rotations, infrared excites vibrations, ultraviolet can ionize atoms, and X-rays penetrate deep into materials. These physical distinctions arise directly from the photon energy, which tracks frequency.
Ordering the four regions
Let me place each wave type on the spectrum:
-
Microwaves (A): Frequency roughly 109 to 1012Hz (wavelengths from millimeters to centimeters). Used in radar, mobile phones, and microwave ovens. This is the lowest-frequency region among the four.
-
Infrared waves (B): Frequency roughly 1012 to 4×1014Hz (wavelengths from about 750nm to a few millimeters). Felt as heat; emitted by warm objects. Sits just below visible light. …
-
- TG EAPCET 2023Set ap-2023-05-11-FN1 markMCQQ.The figure shows the variation of photocurrent (I) with anode potential (V) for a photo sensitive surfaces for three different radiations. If Ia, Ib and Ic are the intensities and va, vb, and vc are the frequencies of lights for the curves a, b and c respectively, then (A) va=vb and Ia=Ib (B) va=vb and Ia=Ib (C) va=vc and Ia=Ic (D) vb=vc and Ib=Ic
›Reveal solutionSolution
The stopping potential depends only on frequency, while the saturation current depends only on intensity. Curves with the same stopping potential have equal frequency; curves with the same saturation current have equal intensity.
The photoelectric effect gives us a clean, direct relationship between the graph of photocurrent vs. anode potential and the properties of the incident light. The key is to read two features from each curve: the stopping potential (where the current just becomes zero) and the saturation current (the flat, maximum current at large positive voltage).
The stopping potential V0 is related to the frequency v of the incident light by Einstein’s photoelectric equation:
eV0=hv−ϕ
where ϕ is the work function of the metal surface (same for all three curves here). So a larger stopping potential means a higher frequency. If two curves have the same stopping potential, they have the same frequency.
The saturation current is proportional to the number of photoelectrons emitted per second, which is directly proportional to the intensity of the incident light (for a fixed frequency). So a larger saturation current means a higher intensity. If two curves have the same saturation current, they have the same intensity.
Now look at the figure (described in the problem). Curves a and b cut the voltage axis at the same point — they have the same stopping potential. Therefore va=vb. But their saturation currents are different: curve a saturates at a higher current than curve b. Therefore Ia=Ib.
Curve c has a different (more negative) stopping potential, so its frequency is different from both a and b. Its saturation current happens to match that of curve a, but that is not one of the options that fits all the data. …
- TG EAPCET 2022Set ap-2022-07-30-FN1 markMCQQ.Critical angle of light passing from glass to air is minimum for light with wavelength (A) 670 nm (B) 550 nm (C) 590 nm (D) 460 nm
›Reveal solutionSolution
The critical angle depends on the refractive index, which varies with wavelength due to dispersion; since the refractive index is highest for shorter wavelengths, the critical angle is smallest for the shortest wavelength, 460 nm.
The key concept here is dispersion — the variation of a material's refractive index with the wavelength of light. For most transparent materials like glass, the refractive index is higher for shorter wavelengths (blue light) and lower for longer wavelengths (red light). This is why a prism splits white light into a rainbow.
The critical angle θc for light going from a medium (glass) to a less dense medium (air) is given by:
sinθc=nglassnair
Since nair≈1, we have:
θc=sin−1(nglass1)
Thus, a larger refractive index nglass gives a smaller critical angle (because the inverse sine of a larger fraction is smaller). So to find the wavelength that gives the minimum critical angle, we need the wavelength for which glass has the maximum refractive index.
-
Recall the dispersion trend: In normal dispersion (which applies to glass in the visible range), the refractive index decreases as wavelength increases. So:
- Short wavelength (violet/blue) → high n
- Long wavelength (red) → low n
-
List the given wavelengths:
- (A) 670 nm (red)
- (B) 550 nm (green)
- (C) 590 nm (yellow)
- (D) 460 nm (blue)
-
Identify the shortest wavelength: Among these, 460 nm is the shortest (blue region). Therefore, it corresponds to the highest refractive index for glass. …
-
- TG EAPCET 2022Set ap-2022-07-30-FN1 markMCQQ.If the frequency of the electromagnetic wave is 3×1017 Hz, then it corresponds to which part of electromagnetic spectrum (A) Visible (B) X-ray (C) Microwave (D) Gamma ray
›Reveal solutionSolution
The frequency 3×1017 Hz lies in the X-ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum, so the correct option is (B).
The electromagnetic spectrum is arranged by frequency (or wavelength). Higher frequency means shorter wavelength and more energetic photons. The key is to recall the approximate frequency ranges for each region: visible light is around 1014–1015 Hz, X-rays are around 1016–1019 Hz, gamma rays are above 1019 Hz, and microwaves are much lower (around 109–1012 Hz). Given 3×1017 Hz, we can directly compare.
-
Recall the frequency ranges
- Microwaves: 109 to 1012 Hz
- Visible light: 4×1014 to 7.5×1014 Hz
- X-rays: 1016 to 1019 Hz
- Gamma rays: above 1019 Hz
-
Locate the given frequency
3×1017 Hz is between 1016 and 1019 Hz, squarely in the X-ray band. It is far above visible light (which is ∼1014 Hz) and below typical gamma rays (which start around 1019–1020 Hz).
-
Eliminate other options
- (A) Visible: too low by a factor of about 1000.
- (C) Microwave: too low by a factor of about 108.
- (D) Gamma ray: too high; gamma rays usually begin above 1019 Hz, though there is some overlap, 3×1017 Hz is conventionally X-ray. …
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