All Problems

Polarization of Light

Problem 5.169

A beam of plane-polarized light falls on the surface of water at the Brewster angle. The polarization plane of the electric vector of the electromagnetic wave makes an angle \(\varphi=45^{\circ}\) with the incidence plane. Find the reflection coefficient.

Reveal Answer
ρ=[(n21)/(n2+1)]sin2φ=0.038, where n is the refractive index of water\rho=\left[\left(n^{2}-1\right) /\left(n^{2}+1\right)\right] \sin ^{2} \varphi=0.038, \text { where } n \text { is the refractive index of water}