What is Brewster's angle: Definition and 24 Discussions

Brewster's angle (also known as the polarization angle) is an angle of incidence at which light with a particular polarization is perfectly transmitted through a transparent dielectric surface, with no reflection. When unpolarized light is incident at this angle, the light that is reflected from the surface is therefore perfectly polarized. This special angle of incidence is named after the Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster (1781–1868).

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  1. J

    A Why does the free end refraction occur after Brewster's angle in TM?

    Thanks for reading my question, and i’m really sorry about my poor english. What i am wondering about is why does the free end occur after the incidence angle overcome the Brewster angle in TM wave? (The ray incident from vacuum to glass(dense medium)) i tried to interpret this phenomenon with...
  2. K

    Calculating the degree of polarization of reflecting light

    I am looking for in an equation that's spits out the degree of polarization of reflected light, with incidence angle and the refractive indexes as inputs. an article online article had this graph decribing the degree of polarization as a value between 0 and 1 plotted against the angle of...
  3. PainterGuy

    Brewster's angle and the intensity of reflected light

    Hi, Would it be correct to say that at Brewster's angle, all the incident light which has its electric field parallel to the plane of incidence gets refracted, and the rest of light whose electric field is perpendicular to the plane of incidence gets reflected? For example, if the light whose...
  4. A

    Brewster's angle, dipole radiation and refraction

    So I was wondering how it is possible that there will be no p-pol light reflected when the refracted light is at 90 degrees to the reflected light (so incoming light is at Brewster's angle). The Brewster's angle was explained to me by saying that the electrons in the medium radiate light...
  5. A

    Things to talk about in a Polarization Write-up

    Homework Statement I am doing an assignment on Polarization of light. I have conducted experiments to prove that reflected light is at least partially plane-polarized, and to prove that Malus' Law is true. Both my experiments have given good results. I now need to find enough stuff to write...
  6. A

    Elliptically polarized light incident at Brewster's angle

    Elliptically polarized light strikes a glass surface (in air) with refraction index n at Brewster's angle. What is the polarization of the reflected ray? How does it change if now the glass surface is partially submerged in water? And if the glass surface is fully submerged in water? How...
  7. G

    How a TFP (Thin Flim Polarizer) works?

    Hello. I've been really curious about how TFP (Thin Flim Polarizer) works. I've searched TFP information through the Internet which tells that TFP utilizes Brewster's angle. This explains how the P-polarization transmits TFP with 100 % transmission, but I don't know how the S-polarization is...
  8. G

    What is causing the reflected beam's s oscillations at Brewster's angle?

    Ive been reading about reflections and transmission at Air water surface. I get the idea that at the Brewster's angle dipoles aligned at the surface can not emit p-oscillations in the reflected direction as the dipole is aligned parallel to this direction. What I don't get is that if the...
  9. garylau

    I What happens if the angle < Brewster's angle?

    Sorry i have question for TM polarization. i don't understand why if the angle < brewster's angle,then the reflected light will experience an pi phase shift? can anybody explain why?
  10. S

    Brewster's Angle and P-Polarization in Laser Design

    Homework Statement Fresnel losses occur between two different media that have different refractive indices. To reduce these losses we can change the angle of incidence to brewster's angle. At this angle, the amount of reflective loss is minimized for p-polarized light. Do we assume that laser...
  11. S

    Fresnel Loss & Brewster's Angle

    Homework Statement I'm trying to understand these two a bit better in terms of lasers. Fresnel Loss - The loss that occurs when there is a change in refractive index. Some light will be transmitted, while other light will be reflected back into the medium. This is bad for lasers because it...
  12. L

    Angle of transmission past brewster's angle

    Homework Statement find TM p-parallel for (angle of incidence)=68 degrees, n(sub1) = 1.0, n(sub2) = 1.6[/B]Homework Equations how to find angle of transmission, theta(sub)i[/B]The Attempt at a Solution I know that when the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle, all the light...
  13. F

    Optics Brewster's Angle Reflected Light Intesity

    Homework Statement An incident unpolarised light beam of intensity I_{0} strikes glass plate B at Brewster's Angle. The reflected light travels vertically and strikes a second glass plate A, again at Brewster's Angle. (We ignore the light transmitted by the glass plates.) Plate A is then...
  14. U

    Solving Brewster's Angle: Finding θ_1 from tanθ = n_2/n_1

    Homework Statement I have solved the first two parts, I'm having trouble with the final part. Given the following relations, show the following relation of brewster angle: tan θ = \frac {n_2}{n_1} Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Using: \frac {n_2}{n1} = \frac {sin...
  15. F

    Understanding Brewster's Angle

    Hi, I'm struggling to conceptually understand why Brewster's angle occurs. I know Fresnel's equations and can see that at some angle, the reflected parallel component goes to zero. What I don't understand is why this is conceptually happening. I understand that the material is made up of...
  16. V

    Building a Laser - Brewster's Angle Problem

    Homework Statement You are making a laser with light of wavelength 310 nanometers using a MgF2 window (which will transmit the UV). The mirrors will be external so each end of the 'pumping' gas discharge tube must be cut at Brewster's angle so that there is no reflection from the surface as...
  17. A

    Index of Refraction, Snell's Law, and Brewster's Angle

    Homework Statement This was for a lab experiment, and I'm still not sure how this all fits together. We were supposed to use snell's law to find the index of refraction for the lab bench. We measured from the top of the bench to our eye level, and to the center of the bright spot seen...
  18. K

    What is the Effect of Brewster's Angle on Refracted Light?

    If a ray hits a medium with Brewster's angle, reflected light is linear polarized {if electric field way is not parallel to incidence way}. But what does it happen to refracted ray? Thanks you in advance
  19. 8

    Finding Brewster's Angle via Fresnel Equation

    Homework Statement The problem about this is, which Fresnel Equation am I supposed to use? Show that the brewster's angle is \tan(\theta)=\frac{n_{2}}{n_{1}} but which Fresnel equation do you use Problem: Using the correct Fresnel Equation using (plugging in) the transmitted angle...
  20. Q

    Brewster's Angle: Reflection and Refraction Intensity

    ok, at brewster angle ,i know when unpolarized light incident on a quartz stack has only s polarized reflections and , s & p polarized refractions into the quartz. but why is the intensity of refracted light 50% if quartz don't absorb light? is it due to the random nature of unpolarized...
  21. K

    Question about brewster's angle

    except the maths. methods can anyone explain why the reflected light is polarised while the refracted light is partially polarised in brewster angle ,please??
  22. J

    Polarization on an interface at Brewster's angle

    Homework Statement Characterize the polarization (i.e., linear, circular, or elliptical) of the transmitted and reflected waves for the case in which a circularly-polarized field is incident on an interface at Brewster's angleHomework Equations N/A The Attempt at a Solution I thought that...
  23. D

    Brewster's angle derivation.

    Homework Statement A beam of radiation, whose electric vector is in the plane of incidence, is incident at an angle \theta from air onto a transparent material of refractive index, n. Given the relationship between the electric vectors of the reflected (E'') and incident (E) beams derive the...
  24. P

    Brewster's Angle: Light in Ethanol to Crown Glass - Significance

    question: 'light travels from ethanol into crown glass. what's the brewster's angle?' and what is the significance of this angle?' so i have: nr = 1.52 (crown glass ni = 1.36 (ethanol) so it's 1.52/1.36 tan-1 = 48.2 degrees? and what is the significance of 48 degrees? any help...
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