Brewster's Angle Calculator
Calculate the angle of perfect polarization using Brewster's law: θB = arctan(n₂/n₁)
Calculate Brewster's Angle
Refractive index of initial medium (typically air = 1.000)
Refractive index of reflecting medium
Brewster's Angle Results
Brewster's Angle
Critical Angle
Polarization Ratio
Brewster's Law: θB = arctan(n₂/n₁)
Perfect Polarization: Reflected light is 100% linearly polarized
Condition: Angle of reflection + angle of refraction = 90°
Physics Analysis
Common Materials
Interface Examples
Key Concepts
Brewster's Angle
Angle of incidence for perfect polarization
Polarization
Reflected light becomes linearly polarized
Refractive Index
Material property affecting light speed
Applications
Polarized sunglasses
Photography filters
Optical instruments
LCD displays
Glare reduction from water
Anti-glare car windows
Understanding Brewster's Angle
What is Brewster's Angle?
Brewster's angle is the angle of incidence at which light with a particular polarization is perfectly transmitted through a transparent dielectric surface, with no reflection. When unpolarized light hits a surface at this angle, the reflected light becomes completely linearly polarized.
Physical Principle
- •Reflection and refraction angles sum to 90°
- •p-polarized light experiences zero reflection
- •s-polarized light is partially reflected
- •Result: reflected light is linearly polarized
Brewster's Law
θB = arctan(n₂/n₁)
- θB: Brewster's angle
- n₁: Refractive index of initial medium
- n₂: Refractive index of second medium
Note: Named after Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster (1781-1868) who discovered this phenomenon in 1815.
Polarization Types
s-Polarized
Electric field perpendicular to plane of incidence, partially reflected at Brewster's angle
p-Polarized
Electric field parallel to plane of incidence, zero reflection at Brewster's angle
Unpolarized
Equal mix of s and p components, becomes linearly polarized after reflection