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- Malus’s Law. Light is one type of electromagnetic (EM) wave. EM waves are transverse waves consisting of varying electric and magnetic fields that oscillate perpendicular to the direction of propagation (Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)).
- Polarization by Reflection. By now, you can probably guess that polarizing sunglasses cut the glare in reflected light, because that light is polarized.
- Atomic Explanation of Polarizing Filters. Polarizing filters have a polarization axis that acts as a slit. This slit passes EM waves (often visible light) that have an electric field parallel to the axis.
- Polarization by Scattering. If you hold your polarizing sunglasses in front of you and rotate them while looking at blue sky, you will see the sky get bright and dim.
When the unpolarized light passes through the first filter, the intensity is cut in half and comes out polarized at \(0^o\). Then it passes through three successive filters, and applying Malus’s law for each \(30^o\) change of polarization angle brings in a factor of 0.75 for each polaroid.
Find a coordinate system in which this wave is parallel to the new x-axis and write the wave in that coordinate system. Because this electric field can be written as __________ to a ____________ axis for ______ times, this light is known as __________ polarized light.
- Polarization by Use of A Polaroid Filter
- Polarization by Reflection
- Polarization by Refraction
- Polarization by Scattering
- Applications of Polarization
The most common method of polarization involves the use of a Polaroid filter. Polaroid filters are made of a special material that is capable of blocking one of the two planes of vibration of an electromagnetic wave. (Remember, the notion of two planes or directions of vibration is merely a simplification that helps us to visualize the wavelike nat...
Unpolarized light can also undergo polarization by reflection off of nonmetallic surfaces. The extent to which polarization occurs is dependent upon the angle at which the light approaches the surface and upon the material that the surface is made of. Metallic surfaces reflect light with a variety of vibrational directions; such reflected light is ...
Polarization can also occur by the refraction of light. Refraction occurs when a beam of light passes from one material into another material. At the surface of the two materials, the path of the beam changes its direction. The refracted beam acquires some degree of polarization. Most often, the polarization occurs in a plane perpendicular to the s...
Polarization also occurs when light is scattered while traveling through a medium. When light strikes the atoms of a material, it will often set the electrons of those atoms into vibration. The vibrating electrons then produce their own electromagnetic wave that is radiated outward in all directions. This newly generated wave strikes neighboring at...
Polarization has a wealth of other applications besides their use in glare-reducing sunglasses. In industry, Polaroid filters are used to perform stress analysis tests on transparent plastics. As light passes through a plastic, each color of visible light is polarized with its own orientation. If such a plastic is placed between two polarizing plat...
1. Differentiate between polarized and nonpolarized light. 2. Explain how light can be polarized by absorption and by reflection. 3. Differentiate between linear, circular, and elliptical polarization. 4. Explain how a polarizing filter works. 5. Describe what an ellipsometer is and what it is used for. Lesson Materials and Resources.
Explain the change in intensity as polarized light passes through a polarizing filter; Calculate the effect of polarization by reflection and Brewster’s angle; Describe the effect of polarization by scattering; Explain the use of polarizing materials in devices such as LCDs
People also ask
How do you find the intensity of a polarized wave?
How do you measure polarization?
How do you describe the state of polarization?
What is polarization by reflection?
In this chapter, polarized light will in general be taken to mean elliptically polarized light, which includes circularly and linearly (plane) polarized light as special cases. The state of polarization can be described by specifying. * the ec centricity of the polarization ellipse. * the or ientation of the polarization ellipse.
