| critical angle [`krid·ǝ·kǝl ¦aŋ·gǝl] ARCHITECTURE The angle of pitch of a flight of stairs or a ramp that, if exceeded, is considered uncomfortable and unsafe; it is 50° for stairs and 20° for ramps. PHYSICS An angle associated with total reflection of electromagnetic or acoustic radiation back into a medium from the boundary with another medium in which the radiation has a higher phase velocity; it is the smallest angle with the normal to the boundary at which total reflection occurs. |