Angle of strongest polarization

[togahockey15]

Homework Statement

At what angle above the horizon is the Sun when light reflecting off a smooth lake is
polarized most strongly?

Homework Equations

dsin(θ) = mλ

I = E^2

The Attempt at a Solution

I think that the polarization is strongest when the angle between the light and the water is closest to or at 90 degrees, which would occur at noon. I don't have a good explanation for this, though. Can anyone help?

 

[Carid]

Check out Brewster's law.

 

[nlightner]

Your intuition is correct. The polarization of light is strongest when the angle between the incoming light and the reflecting surface is 90 degrees. This is because at this angle, the electric field of the light is parallel to the surface of the water, allowing for maximum reflection and polarization. This angle is also known as the Brewster angle, and it can be calculated using the equation you provided: dsin(θ) = mλ. In this case, d represents the thickness of the water, θ is the angle of incidence, m is an integer representing the order of the reflected light, and λ is the wavelength of the light. So, at the Brewster angle, the reflected light will be completely polarized.