[Home]Brewsters angle

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Changed: 3c3
When light moves between two media of differing refractive index, light which is s-polarised with respect to the interface will not be reflected from the interface at one particular incident angle, known as Brewster's angle.
When light moves between two media of differing refractive index, light which is p-polarised with respect to the interface will not be reflected from the interface at one particular incident angle, known as Brewster's angle.

Changed: 11c11
Note that, since all s-polarised light is refracted, any light reflected from the interface at this angle must be p-polarised. A glass plate placed at Brewster's angle in a light beam can thus be used as a polariser.
Note that, since all p-polarised light is refracted, any light reflected from the interface at this angle must be s-polarised. A glass plate placed at Brewster's angle in a light beam can thus be used as a polariser.

Optical phenomenon discovered by Sir David Brewster (1781-1868), Scottish physicist.

When light moves between two media of differing refractive index, light which is p-polarised with respect to the interface will not be reflected from the interface at one particular incident angle, known as Brewster's angle.

It may be calculated by:

θB = arctan( n2 / n1 ) ,

where n1 and n2 are the refractive indices of the two media.

Note that, since all p-polarised light is refracted, any light reflected from the interface at this angle must be s-polarised. A glass plate placed at Brewster's angle in a light beam can thus be used as a polariser.

See also Fresnel equations.


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Last edited October 28, 2001 11:12 am by DrBob (diff)
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