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Question:

Unpolarized light of intensity I0 is incident on the surface of a block of glass at Brewster's angle. In that case, which one of the following statements is true?

transmitted light is completely polarized with intensity less than I0/2

transmitted light is partially polarized with intensity I0/2

reflected light is partially polarized with intensity I0/2

reflected light is completely polarized with intensity less than I0/2

Solution:

At Brewster's angle, the reflected light is completely polarized. The plane of polarization is parallel to the surface of the reflecting material. However, the transmitted light is partially polarized. The intensity of the reflected light is less than I0/2, and the intensity of the transmitted light is also less than I0/2, but their sum is less than I0 due to some light being absorbed or scattered within the glass. Therefore, the correct statement is that the reflected light is completely polarized with intensity less than I0/2.