Plane-waves are the building blocks of arbitrary electromagnetic waves residing in
homogeneous, linear media. A basic understanding of plane-wave properties and their behavior
upon arrival at a flat interface between two such media is sufficient for the analysis of a number
of interesting electrodynamic problems. This chapter presents several exemplary problems that
are easy to set up and to describe, yet the understanding and appreciation of their full impact
requires subtle arguments involving the properties of plane-waves and those of the Fresnel
reflection and transmission coefficients. These examples reveal certain interesting as well as
useful features of optical and electromagnetic systems that are frequently encountered in
practical applications.
