total internal reflection
Definition: Reflection of light within or inside a dense medium. * It takes place at the interface at the dense and less dense medium when the incident light approaches the interface at an angle greater than the critical angle. * Phenomenon is used in prisms e.g. pentaprism of viewfinder, fibre-optics and is an element of the cause of halation in films.
Previous Term: toric lens Next Term: T-stop