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NEET PHYSICSMedium

Unpolarised light is incident from the air on a plane surface of a material of refractive index μ\mu. At a particular angle of incidence ii, it is found that the reflected and refracted rays are perpendicular to each other. Which of the following options is correct for this situation?

A

the reflected light is polarised with its electric vector parallel to the plane of incidence.

B

the reflected light is polarised with its electric vector perpendicular to the plane of incidence.

C

i=sin1(1μ)i = \sin^{-1}\left(\frac{1}{\mu}\right)

D

i=tan1(1μ)i = \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{1}{\mu}\right)

Step-by-Step Solution

When unpolarised light is incident at a particular angle such that the reflected and refracted rays are perpendicular to each other, this angle of incidence is called Brewster's angle (iBi_B). According to Brewster's law, μ=taniB    i=tan1(μ)\mu = \tan i_B \implies i = \tan^{-1}(\mu). At this angle, the reflected light is completely plane-polarised, and its electric field vector is perpendicular to the plane of incidence.

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