Q. Sparking of diamond is due to

A) Reflection
B) Dispersion
C) Total internal reflection
D) High refractive index of diamond
Explanation

(c) Diamond sparkles more compared to ordinary glass, because of the phenomenon of total internal reflection of light, depending on the critical angle of the incidence of light in a material medium at its bounding surface with air.
The higher the refractive index of a transparent medium, the smaller is the critical angle and hence, the larger is the range of angles of incidence for more light to be totally reflected. A diamond has a large refractive index (2.417) and very small critical angle compared to say glass, hence diamond sparkles most.

Dr. Abubacker
Reviewed by Dr. Abubacker

Physics Educator & NEET/JEE Specialist

Ph.D. in Physics with 19+ years of teaching experience.