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Q.The value of Brewster's angle for air-glass interface is π3\dfrac{\pi}{3}, hence the refractive index of glass is __________ .

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2020Subjective· 1mImportance★★★★★est
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Brewster's angle occurs when reflected and refracted rays are perpendicular; for θB=π3\theta_B = \frac{\pi}{3}, the refractive index is tan⁡θB\tan\theta_B, giving n=3n = \sqrt{3}.

When unpolarized light strikes a dielectric interface, the reflected light becomes partially polarized. At one special angle—Brewster's angle—the reflected light is completely polarized perpendicular to the plane of incidence. This happens because the reflected and refracted rays become perpendicular to each other, making it impossible for the electric field component in the plane of incidence to "drive" charges that would radiate a reflected wave in that polarization.

The mathematical consequence is beautifully simple: at Brewster's angle θB\theta_B, the tangent of the angle equals the refractive index of the second medium (when the first is air, with n1≈1n_1 \approx 1).

n=tan⁡θBn = \tan\theta_B

This comes from combining Snell's law with the perpendicularity condition θB+θr=π2\theta_B + \theta_r = \frac{\pi}{2}, where θr\theta_r is the refraction angle.

Now we apply this to the given problem:

  1. Identify the given angle: Brewster's angle for the air-glass interface is θB=π3=60°\theta_B = \frac{\pi}{3} = 60°. …

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