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For light reflected at an air–glass boundary, where the glass has refractive index n, the angle of incidence at which the reflected beam becomes completely plane-polarized is

1. tan⁻¹(1/n)
2. sin⁻¹(1/n)
3. sin⁻¹(n)
4. tan⁻¹(n)

Correct answer: tan⁻¹(n)

Solution

The angle of incidence for complete polarization at the boundary between air and glass is given by Brewster's law, which states that this angle is equal to the arctangent of the refractive index of the second medium (glass) relative to the first (air). Therefore, the correct expression is tan⁻¹(n), where n is the refractive index of the glass.

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