What is the phenomenon where a beam of light is bent when it passes from a denser medium to a rarer medium at an angle greater than the critical angle?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Total internal reflection occurs when light travels from an optically denser medium to a rarer medium at an angle of incidence exceeding the specific critical angle for that pair of substances. Simple refraction involves the bending of light across interfaces without complete reflection back into the original medium. Fiber optic communication cables rely fundamentally on this optical principle to transmit data over long distances with minimal loss.