Brewster's Angle EX-9965A

PASPORT

Page 1 of 6

Brewster's Angle
EQUIPMENT
1 1 2 1 2 2 Brewster's Angle Accessory Spectrophotometer Accessory Kit Optics Bench (60 cm) Rotary Motion Sensor High Sensitivity Light Sensor Aperture Bracket for Light Sensor OS-8170A OS-8537 OS-8541 PS-2120 PS-2176 OS-8534 1 1 1 1 Red Diode Laser Green Diode Laser (Optional) PASPORT Interface DataStudio Software OS-8525A OS-8458

CI-6870

INTRODUCTION
In this experiment, light is partially polarized when reflected off a nonconducting surface and Brewster's angle is measured. Light from a diode laser is reflected off the flat side of an acrylic semi-circular lens. The reflected light passes through a polarizer and is detected by a light sensor. The angle of reflection is measured by a Rotary Motion Sensor mounted on the Spectrophotometer table. The intensity of the reflected polarized light versus reflected angle is graphed to determine the angle at which the light intensity is a minimum. This is Brewster's Angle, which is used to calculate the index of refraction of acrylic.

THEORY
When unpolarized light reflects off a nonconducting surface, it is partially polarized parallel to the plane of the reflective surface. There is a specific angle called Brewster's angle at which the light is 100% polarized. This occurs when the reflected ray and the refracted ray are 90 degrees apart. According to Snell's Law, (1) where n is the index of refraction of the medium and is the angle of the ray from the normal.
Normal

Incident Ray

Reflected Ray

n1 n2

Refracted Ray

Brewster's Angle EX-9965A

PASPORT

Page 2 of 6

Figure 1: Theory

When the angle of incidence is equal to Brewster's angle, P, (2) and since P + 2 = 90o, 2 = 90o - P, and

Substituting for sin2 in Equation (2) gives

Therefore,

(3)

SET UP
1. Assembly a. b. c. d. e. f. Attach the spectrophotometer table at one end of the optics bench. Attach the spectrophotometer Degree Plate to the base, aligning the 180 degree mark with the index line on the base. Attach the spectrophotometer arm to the degree plate. Mount a High Sensitivity Light Sensor and Aperture Bracket to the spectrophotometer arm. Mount the Rotary Motion Sensor with the bigger diameter of spindle against the spectrophotometer table (see Figure 3). Attach the spectrophotometer table base to ground as instructed by your teacher.

Figure 2: Complete Setup

Brewster's Angle EX-9965A

PASPORT

Page 3 of 6

Figure 3: Large Spindle Is Used

2.

Attach the Brewsters Angle Disk: a. The small metal Brewster's angle base disk should be screwed in and zeroed so that the mark at the top of the label above the N in the word ANGLE is aligned with the zero angle mark on the spectrophotometer disk. Make sure the base disk is not screwed down tight against the spectrophotometer table. The spectrophotometer arm and the Brewsters disk should rotate independent of each other. To do this, dont screw the Brewsters base all the way down and then tighten the wing nut under the spectrophotometer table to secure it in place. The plastic base has two zero marks. For reflected light, use the mark that is on the side with the higher step. The D lens is placed on the lower surface flush against the step when data is being collected. The other mark would be used for transmission, like for Snells Law.

b.

3.

Align the Laser Beam a. b. c. d. e. f. g. Remove the D lens Put the Laser Diode at the end of the bench opposite to the spectrophotometer base. Turn the laser on. WARNING: Do not look directly into the laser beam. Set the spectrophotometer arm on 180 degrees. Use the x-y adjustment on the laser to get the laser beam at the center of the Light Sensor slit. The Light Sensor bracket slit should be set on #5. Place the collimating slits on track and adjust the slit position so the laser beam passes through the #5 slit and still hits the slit on the Light Sensor bracket. Adjust the Brewsters Lens Mount so that the index line on the higher step of the Lens Mount is aligned with the zero mark on the Pivot Plate. Place the D Lens on the lower step of the Lens Mount with the flat side of the lens against the edge of the higher step. If the laser beam is not still centered on slit #5 of the aperture bracket, adjust the D Lens side-to-side until the laser beam shines on slit #5. Make sure the D Lens is firmly against the step. Place the beam splitter on the track between the collimating slits and the D-lens. Check that the transmitted laser beam still illuminates slit #5 on the aperture bracket. If necessary, loosen the adjustment screws on the beam splitter holder and move it to align the laser beam with slit #5 on the aperture bracket.

h.

4.

Controlling the Laser Intensity a. Two round polarizers are used on the holder. Rotate the second polarizer (second from laser) to 45 degrees and lock it in place by tightening the brass screw. The first polarizer (closest to the laser) is used throughout the experiment to adjust the light level. Since the ratio of reflected light to incident light is measured, better data will be obtained if the incident light level is kept above 50%.

Brewster's Angle EX-9965A

PASPORT

Page 4 of 6

b. 5.

The 45 degree polarizer is used to solve the problem that the laser light is already polarized. To make the relative intensities of the s and p components the same, the light is polarized at 45 degrees.

Set up the reference light sensor. a. Place the second optics bench at right angles to the first optics bench at the spot where the beam splitter is mounted. b. Mount the second High Sensitivity Light Sensor and Aperture Bracket to the second bench. Set the Aperture Bracket to slit #5. c. Connect a patch cord between electrical ground and a piece of bare metal on the aperture bracket. d. Re-adjust the beam splitter and/or the position of the second bench so the laser beam illuminates slit #5 on the second light sensor.

NOTE: The second light sensor is used to compensate for the variability of the incident beam intensity (see Fig.4). It reads the relative incident light intensity simultaneously with the reflected light intensity. Any fluctuations in intensity can be normalized by dividing the reflected light intensity by the simultaneous reference light intensity.

Figure 4: Variability of Green Laser Intensity

6.

The square analyzing polarizer (in Figure 4) has its transmission axis marked, and for normal use the label should be on top with its axis horizontal and thus 90 degrees from the polarization axis of the reflected light. This is finding the variation in the p (parallel) component of the reflected light and is used to determine Brewsters angle and to calculate the index of refraction. But by placing the analyzing polarizer with its transmission axis vertical, you can also look at the variation in the s (perpendicular) component of the reflected light as well.

Figure 5: Square Analyzing Polarizer 7. Plug the Rotary Motion Sensor and the High Sensitivity Light Sensors into the PASPORT interface. Open the DataStudio file called "Brewsters_PASPort.ds".

Brewster's Angle EX-9965A

PASPORT

Page 5 of 6

PROCEDURE
1. To get full use of the light sensor range: a. b. Press the light bulb button on the side of each of the High Sensitivity Light Sensors to set the gain on 0-100. Click on START and rotate the first polarizer (nearest to the laser) to adjust the level to be as high as possible without exceeding 95% on the digits display of the Reflected Light Intensity and the Reference Light Intensity. This will help when the reflected light level gets lower as the experiment proceeds. Click on STOP. If at any time in the experiment the intensity exceeds 95% for either light sensor, rotate the polarizer until it is under 95%.

2.

To zero the angle on the Rotary Motion Sensor: a. With the D lens removed, rotate the spectrophotometer arm so the laser beam is centered on the Light Sensor slit. The spectrophotometer disk should be near 180 degrees but it doesnt matter if it is slightly off. Click on START and move the arm back and forth in front of the laser, watching the intensity in the digits display on the computer. Stop at the position that gives the maximum intensity. Click on STOP and do not move the arm until program is started to take the actual data run. This insures that zero for Rotary Motion Sensor is at the center of the beam. Place D lens on the platform against the step, centering it.

b.

c.

Note about angle measurement: The angle is computed by dividing the actual angle (recorded by the computer) by two. The best procedure is to set the plastic Brewster's disk to a particular angle and then move the spectrophotometer arm to about the same angle read on the digits display. But, to get the laser beam exactly on to the slit, you must make fine adjustments while watching the digits display for the maximum light intensity. You can adjust either the disk or the spectrophotometer arm until the intensity is maximized. 3. Taking Measurements a. b. c. Turn out the room lights. A small light might be useful for seeing the computer keys to type in values and to put the analyzing polarizer on and off. The lights can be on except when taking a measurement. Click on START. Do not click on STOP until all of the procedure steps are completed. Set Brewsters plastic disk angle to 85 degrees. The square analyzing polarizer should not be in place. Rotate the spectrophotometer arm to about 85 and, while watching the digits display of the Reflected Light Intensity, fine tune the angle to get into the beam. It doesnt have to be exact, just so that you get enough light. If the maximum intensity of light falls below 50%, rotate the round polarizer nearest the laser to increase the intensity above 50% to make the measurement as precise as possible. Since we are plotting the ratio of the polarized intensity over the total intensity, changing the total intensity will not affect the ratio. As you proceed, it will eventually be impossible to make the maximum intensity above 50%. Place square analyzing polarizer (axis horizontal) on the arm just in front of light sensor slits. (Note: The square analyzing polarizes must sit level, flat on the arm.) Press the KEEP button to record the angle, Reflected Light, and the Reference Light. Since the polarizer is horizontal, the light passing through the polarizer is polarized perpendicular to the surface of the D lens. Rotate the square analyzing polarizer so the axis is vertical and set it on the arm just in front of light sensor slits. Press the KEEP button to record the angle, Reflected Light, and the Reference Light. Since the polarizer is vertical, the light passing through the polarizer is polarized parallel to the surface of the D lens. This is the polarized light which is a maximum at Brewsters Angle. Type the intensities and the angle into the table so you can view the data on the graph as you proceed. This will alert you to when you are approaching the minimum reflection so you can take data points at angles that are closer together, giving more detailed data. See Entering the Data below.

d.

e.

f.

g.

Brewster's Angle EX-9965A

PASPORT

Page 6 of 6

Entering the Data: For each angle in the data table, read the Reflected Light Intensity and the Reference Light Intensity and type these into the Date Entry Table. There will be two sets of data for each angle: The first set is for the Perpendicular Reflected Light and the second set is for the Parallel Reflected Light. i. For the first set, type the value for the Reflected Light Intensity into the + Polarized Light column and type the value for the Reference Light Intensity into the + Reference column. You must press enter after typing each value. ii. For the second set, type the value for the Reflected Light Intensity into the II Polarized Light column and type the value for the Reference Light Intensity into the II Reference column. You must press enter after typing each value. Once all the values for one row have been entered, the values will be plotted on the graph. h. Remove the analyzing polarizer and go to the next angle, in increments of 5 degrees. When the reflected intensity is approaching the minimum, take data points every degree near the minimum. Continue until you have equal amounts of data on each side of the minimum so the curve is well defined. Then click on STOP.

4.

Repeat the procedure for a different wavelength laser.

ANALYSIS
1. To determine Brewsters Angle, fit the curve near the minimum of the perpendicularly polarized graph. Click on "Fit" at the top of the graph and choose the quadratic fit. You may have to select a group of points in order to better fit the area around the minimum. [NOTE: Check the curve fit box to make sure Fit with first selected data point at X=0 is NOT selected.] From the curve fit, how do you determine the minimum of the function? Use Brewster's angle to calculate the index of refraction of acrylic using Equation (3). What value should you plug in for n1? Would Brewster's angle be more or less for light in air reflecting off water? Would Brewster's angle be more or less for light in water reflecting off the acrylic lens (the acrylic lens is surrounded by water)? How do polarized sunglasses reduce glare? Which direction is the axis of polarization in a pair of polarized sunglasses? How could you check this? Which direction is the axis of polarization of the light reflected off the D lens? How was the index of refraction affected by a change in the wavelength of the light?

2. 3. 4.

5.

6.

Acknowledgements: This experiment is based on the work of

1

P.J. Ouseph, Kevin Driver, and John Conklin, University of Louisville, Kentucky Polarization of Light by Reflection and the Brewster Angle American Journal of Physics, Vol. 69, 1166 (2001) Cristian Bahram and Wei-Tai Hsu. Lamar University Precise Measurements of the Refractive Indices for Dielectrics Using an Improved Brewster Angle Method American Journal of Physics, Vol. 77, No. 4, 337 (2009)