To determine the degree of polarization in the case of a ray of common light falling obliquely on and being reflected or refracted by a bundle of parallel plates / by W.G. Adams.

  • Adams, W. Grylls (William Grylls), 1836-1915.
Date:
[1871?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: To determine the degree of polarization in the case of a ray of common light falling obliquely on and being reflected or refracted by a bundle of parallel plates / by W.G. Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    This latter portion forms a part of the total beam reflected by the two plates. Summing up the reflected and refracted portions, we get the intensity of the reflected beam l-/tn_l 2F_ -3 i + F Tile intensity of the refracted beam is ^ (I—yt®)®. ]1+ A'* + ^® + &c.[ = 2 ’ 1 + yi;2 = 2 1 — u® 1 +3v® We may in the same way determine the intensities of beams reflected from successive plates; and it will readily be seen that the intensity of the reflected beam is 1 2/m;® 2 ■ l + (2m-l)?;®’ and the intensity of the refracted beam _1 1-?;® ~2 ‘ l + (2/w-l)z;®’ where m is the number of plates. If we consider the beam polarized in the plane at right angles to the plane of incidence, the reflected portion will be 1 2//z7./;® 2 ■ 1 + (2/n-lK’ and the refracted portion _ 1 _ 1— 2 1 + (2m—\)w'^ The intensity of polarized light in each beam is 1 r 1-?^® l-i;® ^ 2\l + (2m —l)m® l + (2m—’ the intensity of natural light reflected being — - and 1 + — 1 —i;® refracted being-;; 77; r— ^ 1 4 (2m —1)7;® Let p and n represent the proportions of polarized and natural light in the refracted beam, then