When a light wave suffers reflection at the interface from air to glass, the change in phase of the reflected wave is equal to

Question

When a light wave suffers reflection at the interface from air to glass, the change in phase of the reflected wave is equal to (A) zero (B) π/2 (C) π (D) 2π

Tardigrade Admin · Accepted Answer

When a light wave travelling from a medium of refractive index

μ_{1}

towards a medium of refractive index

μ_{2}

undergo a

18 0^{\circ}

phase change on reflection when

μ_{2} > μ_{1}

. No phase change occurs in the reflected light if

μ_{2} < μ_{1}

.

For air-glass interface
Since

μ_{2} > μ_{1}

, a light wave undergo a phase change of

π

For air-glass interface Since μ2> μ1, a light wave undergo a phase change of π

Q. When a light wave suffers reflection at the interface from air to glass, the change in phase of the reflected wave is equal to

zero

$π /2$

$π$

$2 π$