Illustration of critical angle
- AOB AO'B' AO''B'' angles of incidence
- AOC refracted ray
- AO''C'' totally reflected ray
- AO'B' critical angle
critical angle
noun
: the least angle of incidence at which total reflection takes place
Examples of critical angle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Likewise, in a second experiment, subjects were presented with the image of Kevin either gazing at the tube or gazing away in the opposite direction and asked to report the critical angle of the tube before toppling.
—
Robert Martone, Scientific American, 29 Dec. 2020
The critical angle reported by subjects depended upon whether Kevin was blindfolded.
—Robert Martone, Scientific American, 29 Dec. 2020
As the airplane approaches that critical angle, the first event is a stall warning in the cockpit.
—New York Times, 18 Sep. 2019
Robert Martone, Scientific American, 29 Dec. 2020
The critical angle reported by subjects depended upon whether Kevin was blindfolded.
—Robert Martone, Scientific American, 29 Dec. 2020
As the airplane approaches that critical angle, the first event is a stall warning in the cockpit.
—New York Times, 18 Sep. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'critical angle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near critical angle
Cite this Entry
“Critical angle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critical%20angle. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share