True/false.
Light reflected from a glass surface is polarized along the plane perpendicular to the glass surface
NO, not true.
True. Light reflected from a glass surface is generally polarized along the plane perpendicular to the surface. This phenomenon is known as Brewster's angle.
When light strikes a surface and gets reflected, it can be partially polarized, meaning its electric field vectors align in a particular direction. The polarization direction is determined by the angle of incidence of the light and the refractive index of the material it is reflecting from.
At a specific angle of incidence, known as the Brewster's angle, the reflected light becomes completely polarized, meaning its electric field vectors oscillate only in the plane perpendicular to the surface. This phenomenon occurs because when light strikes a surface at Brewster's angle, the reflected light has its electric field vector parallel to the plane of incidence, while the refracted light (transmitted through the surface) is polarized perpendicular to the plane of incidence.
The angle of incidence for Brewster's angle can be calculated using the equation:
θ = arctan(n2/n1)
Where θ is the Brewster's angle, n1 is the refractive index of the incident medium, and n2 is the refractive index of the medium the light is reflected from (in this case, the glass).
So, in summary, light reflected from a glass surface is polarized in the plane perpendicular to the surface, and this effect is known as Brewster's angle.