Critical angle (TIR) (sin θc = n2/n1 (rarer over denser))

jee-mainjee-advancedneet-ug

sin θc = n2/n1 (rarer over denser)

What each symbol means

SymbolWhat it stands for
n_1Refractive index of denser medium (incident side, inside medium)
n_2Refractive index of rarer medium (refracted side, e.g. air)
\theta_cCritical angle measured from the normal (sin θc = n2/n1 when n1 > n2)

When to use this

Standard JEE / NCERT assumptions unless stated (paraxial, thin lens, coherent YDSE sources, etc.).