Transverse Waves and Longitudinal Waves

Two types of waves are involved in this phenomenon. These are:

  • Transverse Waves: The waves in which the movement of the particles is perpendicular to the wave’s motion direction. For example, when you throw a stone, it creates ripples in the water and sound waves moving across the air.
  • Longitudinal Waves: These occur when the medium’s particles move in the same direction as the waves.

The combination of electric and magnetic forces traveling across space is known as light. A light wave’s electric and magnetic vibrations are perpendicular to each other. The magnetic field travels in one direction and the electric field in the other, but they are always perpendicular. So we have an electric field in one plane, a magnetic field perpendicular to it, and a travel direction that is perpendicular to both. Electric and magnetic vibrations can happen in a variety of planes.

Polarization of Light

Polarization of Light: If you were to leave your house on a hot, sunny day, you would undoubtedly wear sunglasses. This is because the light emitted by the sun is unpolarized light and the sunglasses we wear transform the unpolarized light. Polarized light is light in which the electric field vector of the light is in the same phase and is perpendicular to the propagation of the light wave. The process of converting unpolarized light into polarized light is called polarization.

In this article, we will learn about the Polarization of light, types of polarization, Polarization of Light properties, and others in detail.

Table of Content

  • What is the Polarization of Light?
    • Polarization of Light Definition
  • Transverse Waves and Longitudinal Waves
  • Polarized Light and Unpolarized Light
    • Polarized Light
    • Unpolarized Light
  • Types of Polarization of Light
    • Linear Polarization
    • Elliptical Polarization
    • Circular Polarization
  • Methods Used in Polarization of Light
    • Polarization by Transmission (Polaroids)
    • Polarization by Scattering
    • Polarization by Reflection and Refraction
  • How do Transverse Waves exhibit Polarization?
  • Brewster’s Law
  • Applications of Polarization of Light

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What is the Polarization of Light?

Polarization is a phenomenon induced by the wave nature of electromagnetic radiation, according to physics. Sunlight is an example of an electromagnetic wave since it travels through the vacuum to reach the Earth. Because an electric field interacts with a magnetic field, these waves are known as electromagnetic waves....

Transverse Waves and Longitudinal Waves

Two types of waves are involved in this phenomenon. These are:...

Polarized Light and Unpolarized Light

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Types of Polarization of Light

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Methods Used in Polarization of Light

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How do Transverse Waves exhibit Polarization?

Any wave vibrating up and down perpendicular to the propagation of the wave is termed the transverse wave. As we know that a wave travels in 3-Dimensions and in the three dimensions there are two waves that are perpendicular to the propagation of the wave....

Brewster’s Law

Brewster’s Law states that, for an unpolarized light of a known wavelength that is incident on a transparent surface, experiences maximum plan polarization at the angle of incidence then the tangent of the incidence angle is the refractive index of the substance for the given wavelength....

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Summary – Polarization of Light

Polarization of light is like giving direction to the chaotic dance of light waves. Imagine light as a crowd of people moving together but facing all different directions; polarization is like getting them all to move in harmony, facing the same way. It’s a process that turns the jumbled mess of directions in unpolarized light into a neat, single direction in polarized light....

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