Mathematical and Physical Journal
for High Schools
Issued by the MATFUND Foundation
 Already signed up? New to KöMaL?

Problem P. 4746. (May 2015)

P. 4746. The following experiment is usually shown in order to demonstrate that light is a transverse wave:

A narrow parallel beam of natural light hits a plane glass, such that the reflected and the refracted rays are perpendicular to each other. Then another plane glass is used to reflect the reflected ray, such that the angle of incidence is the same as in the previous case. If this latter glass is rotated about an axis which coincides with the incident light ray, then it may happen that there is no reflected ray from this piece of glass.

$\displaystyle a)$ How does this experiment proves that light is transverse wave?

$\displaystyle b)$ What is the angle of incidence, if the refractive index of the glass is $\displaystyle n=1.5$?

$\displaystyle c)$ What is the angle between the planes of the two pieces of glass when there is no reflected ray from the second glass?

(5 pont)

Deadline expired on June 10, 2015.

Statistics:

 26 students sent a solution. 5 points: Asztalos Bogdán, Blum Balázs, Csorba Benjámin, Fehér Balázs, Fekete Panna, Forrai Botond, Fülöp Erik, Holczer András, Kasza Bence, Marosvári Kristóf, Olosz Balázs, Öreg Botond, Sal Kristóf. 4 points: Büki Máté, Szentivánszki Soma . 3 points: 10 students. 0 point: 1 student.

Problems in Physics of KöMaL, May 2015