Question

Unpolarized light from Juliet of intensity I passes at normal incidence through a window to Romeo. If the window glass has a refractive index n, what does this scenario involve?

a) Chemical reaction rates
b) Radioactive decay
c) Optics and light
d) Thermal conductivity

Answer 1

The scenario described pertains to “optics and light” and involves the concept of light refraction, where an index of refraction can be determined for a window's material when light is completely polarized at a certain angle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario of unpolarized light from Juliet of intensity I passing through a window to Romeo involves optics and light. Specifically, when light reflects at an angle of 55.6° from a window and becomes completely polarized, this indicates a particular index of refraction for the window material. Using Brewster's law, we can calculate the index of refraction for the window as it relates to the angle of polarization. In general, the index of refraction is a measure of how much the speed of light is reduced inside a medium compared to the speed of light in vacuum. While the exact index of refraction is not provided in the question, common materials with specific refractive indices might be inferred—such as glass or water, which have typical indices around 1.5 and 1.33, respectively.