Intensity of reflected s-wave/p-wave

This applet will calculate reflected and refracted light intensity according to the incident angle for p-wave and s-wave.
-*-

Embed a running copy of this simulation

Embed a running copy link(show simulation in a popuped window)

Full screen applet or Problem viewing java?Add http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ to exception site list
Press the Alt key and the left mouse button to drag the applet off the browser and onto the desktop. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Taiwan License

Please feel free to post your ideas about how to use the simulation for better teaching and learning.
Post questions to be asked to help students to think, to explore.
Upload worksheets as attached files to share with more users.

Let's work together. We can help more users understand physics conceptually and enjoy the fun of learning physics!

Refraction satisfy Snell's law : $n_1 \sin\theta_1=n_2\sin\theta_2$

There are always reflected wave when light touch the boundary between two media.
The intensity for reflected wave $\vec{E}'= r_s \vec{E}_s + r_p \vec{E}_p$ where $\vec{E}_s, \vec{E}_p$ are electric field for s-wave and p-wave.
$r_s= \frac{n_1\cos\theta_1 -n_2\cos\theta_2}{n_1\cos\theta_1 +n_2\cos\theta_2} =\frac{\sin(\theta_1-\theta_2)}{\sin(\theta_1+\theta_2)}$
and
$r_p=\frac{n_2\cos\theta_1-n_1\cos\theta_2}{n_2\cos\theta_1+n_1\cos\theta_2}=\frac{\tan(\theta_1-\theta_2)}{\tan(\theta_1+\theta_2)}$
The intensity of refraction wave is the intensity of incident wave minus intensity of reflected wave.
There is no refracted wave when internal reflection occurs.
When $\theta=\theta=0$ , the fraction of reflected wave is $\frac{(n_1-n_2)^2}{(n_1+n_2)^2}$ .
for light from air(n=1) to glass (n=1.5), there are only $\frac{(1-1.5)^2}{(1+1.5)^2}=\frac{0.5^2}{2.5^2}=\frac{1}{25}=4%$ light being reflected.

Related Topics
	Subject	Started by	Replies	Views	Last post
	Intensity variation for reflected/refracted light Optics	Fu-Kwun Hwang	0	20178	June 07, 2005, 03:50:15 pm by Fu-Kwun Hwang
	Intensity of reflected light and index of refraction Optics	Fu-Kwun Hwang	0	35931	June 08, 2005, 09:55:19 am by Fu-Kwun Hwang
	Reflection/Refraction in 3D (intensity/ p-s wave) Optics	Fu-Kwun Hwang	0	10583	March 20, 2010, 12:58:49 pm by Fu-Kwun Hwang
	Wave reflected from a wall:interference between original wave and reflected wave Wave and Fluid	Fu-Kwun Hwang	0	10021	October 22, 2010, 10:36:33 am by Fu-Kwun Hwang
	Wave reflected from a wall:interference between original wave and reflected wave wave and fluid	ahmedelshfie	0	4558	October 29, 2010, 04:42:05 pm by ahmedelshfie

	Author	Topic: Intensity of reflected s-wave/p-wave (Read 39016 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Click to toggle author information(expand message area).