Question

A light ray is incident from water, whose index of refraction is \(1.33,\) on a plate of glass whose index of refraction is \(1.73 .\) What angle of incidence will result in fully polarized reflected light?

Short answer

Answer: The angle of incidence for full polarization when a light ray is incident from water to a glass plate is approximately 52.58°.

Step-by-step solution

Write down the given values

We are given the indexes of refraction for water and glass. These values are: - Index of refraction of water (n_1): 1.33 - Index of refraction of glass (n_2): 1.73

Apply the Brewster's Angle formula

We can now apply the Brewster's angle formula to find the angle of incidence for full polarization. With n_1 = 1.33 and n_2 = 1.73, the formula is: $$\theta_B = \tan^{-1} (\frac{n_2}{n_1}) = \tan^{-1} (\frac{1.73}{1.33})$$

Calculate Brewster's Angle

Now we can calculate the Brewster's angle using a calculator or suitable software: $$\theta_B = \tan^{-1} (\frac{1.73}{1.33}) = 52.58°$$

Answer

The angle of incidence that will result in fully polarized reflected light when the light ray is incident from water to a glass plate is approximately 52.58°.