When a beam of light that is traveling in air is reflected by a glass surface,there is
A)a 90° phase change in the reflected beam.
B)no phase change in the reflected beam.
C)a 180° phase change in the reflected beam.
D)a 60° phase change in the reflected beam.
E)a 45° phase change in the reflected beam.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a beam of light traveling in air is reflected by a glass surface, there is a 180° phase change in the reflected beam. This is because when light passes through a denser medium, such as glass, the wave undergoes a phase change of 180° upon reflection due to the reversal of the electric and magnetic fields.

When a Beam of Light That Is Traveling in Air