Brewster's Angle Calculator
🔍 What is Brewster’s Angle?
In optics, Brewster’s Angle (also called the polarizing angle) is the angle of incidence at which light with a specific polarization is perfectly transmitted through a surface, with no reflection. It’s a fundamental concept in physics, optical engineering, photography, and laser technology.
At this special angle, reflected light is completely polarized perpendicular to the plane of incidence. This principle is used in creating polarizing filters, optimizing laser optics, and reducing glare in lenses.
🧮 Use Our Free Online Brewster’s Angle Calculator
Use the calculator below to instantly calculate Brewster’s angle based on the refractive indices of the two media involved:
Formula:
θ₍B₎ = arctan(n₂ / n₁)
Where:
n₁ = refractive index of medium 1 (incident medium)
n₂ = refractive index of medium 2 (refractive medium)
θ₍B₎ = Brewster’s angle
💡 Why Brewster’s Angle Matters
✅ Polarized Light Generation: Brewster’s angle helps generate 100% polarized reflected light.
✅ Laser Systems Optimization: Used in laser cavities to minimize power loss.
✅ Photography & Lenses: Helps in designing anti-glare optical filters.
✅ Scientific Research: Fundamental in physics, optics, and wave behavior studies.
✅ Display Technology: Helps in improving screen visibility by reducing reflected glare.
📈 Applications of Brewster’s Angle
Designing optical coatings and filters
Laser cavity mirrors to eliminate reflection loss
Photography for glare reduction
Sunglasses with polarization filtering
Enhancing visual clarity in displays
Advanced microscopy and telescopic lenses
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the unit of Brewster’s angle?
Brewster’s angle is measured in degrees (°).
2. Does Brewster’s angle depend on wavelength?
Yes, the refractive index can vary with wavelength, so Brewster’s angle may also vary depending on the color (frequency) of light.
3. Can Brewster’s angle be greater than 90°?
No, Brewster’s angle is always between 0° and 90°, depending on the ratio of refractive indices.
4. Why is there no reflection at Brewster’s angle?
At Brewster’s angle, the reflected and refracted rays are at 90° to each other, causing the reflected p-polarized component to vanish due to destructive interference.
5. What’s a typical value for air-to-glass Brewster’s angle?
For air (n ≈ 1.00) to glass (n ≈ 1.5), Brewster’s angle is approximately 56.3°.
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🧪 Enter your values and get instant results to support your physics projects, experiments, or optical designs.