Polarization

Of Light
Polarization
A light wave is
an electromagnetic wave that
travels through the vacuum of
outer space. Light waves are
produced by vibrating electric
charges. For our purposes, it is
sufficient to merely say that an
electromagnetic wave is
a transverse wave that has
both an electric and a magnetic
component.
TRANSVERSE NATURE OF WAVE

The transverse nature of an

electromagnetic wave is quite
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different from any other type of wave. Let's suppose

that we use the customary slinky to model the
behavior of an electromagnetic wave. As an
electromagnetic wave traveled towards you, then you
would observe the vibrations of the slinky occurring in
more than one plane of vibration. This is quite
different than what you might notice if you were to
look along a slinky and observe a slinky wave
traveling towards you. Indeed, the coils of the slinky
would be vibrating back and forth as the slinky
approached; yet these vibrations would occur in a
single plane of space. That is, the coils of the slinky
might vibrate up and down or left and right. Yet
regardless of their direction of vibration, they would
be moving along the same linear direction as you
sighted along the slinky. If a slinky wave were an
electromagnetic wave, then the vibrations of the
slinky would occur in multiple planes. Unlike a usual
slinky wave, the electric and magnetic vibrations of an
electromagnetic wave occur in numerous planes. A
light wave that is vibrating in more than one plane is
referred to as unpolarized light.

Polarization of Light:
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 Light is a form of energy which enables us to see

the objects from which it comes.
Light waves are electromagnetic in nature can
travel with a velocity of 3 x 10 8 m/sec. in free
space.
Light waves show a number of properties such as
Interference, Diffraction, Polarzation, Doppler
Effect, Reflection, Refraction and Dispersion etc.
Polarization of light is one of the unique and most
significant properties shown by light waves.
Light emitted by the sun, by a lamp in the classroom,
or by a candle flame is unpolarized light. Such light
waves are created by electric charges that vibrate in a
variety of directions, thus creating an electromagnetic
wave that vibrates in a variety of directions. This
concept of unpolarized light is rather difficult to
visualize. In general, it is helpful to picture unpolarized
light as a wave that has an average of half its
vibrations in a horizontal plane and half of its
vibrations in a vertical plane.
It is possible to transform unpolarized light
into polarized light. Polarized light waves are light
waves in which the vibrations occur in a single plane.
The process of transforming unpolarized light into
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polarized light is known as polarization. There are a

variety of methods of polarizing light. The four
methods discussed on this page are:

Polarization
Polarization
Polarization
Polarization
Polarization

by
by
by
by
by

Transmission
Reflection
Refraction
Scattering
Dichroism

Polarization by Reflection
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 unpolarized.

Polarization by Refraction
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
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direction. The refracted beam acquires some degree

of polarization.

Polarization by
Scattering
When a beam of white light is
pass through a medium containing particles whose
size is of the order of wavelength of light. Then the
beam gets scattered. When the scattered light is seen
in a direction perpendicular to the direction of
incidence, it is found to be plane polarized. This is
called polarization by scattering.

Polarization by Dichroism
Some doubly- refracting crystals have the property of
absorbing strongly one of the two refracted rays, while
allowing the other to emerge with little loss. This
selective absorption by the crystals is known as
Dichroism. The best example of such a crystal is
Tourmaline.
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Polarization by Use of a Polaroid Filter

Information about Polaroids
Polaroids - Polaroid is based on the phenomenon of

dichroism. It is a big polarising film mounted between

two glass plates and is used to obtain plane Polarized
light. To prepare this film, ultra-microscopic
crystals of herpathite (lodosulphate of Quinine)
are spread by a special device in a thin sheet of nitrocellulose in such a way that the optic axes of all the
crystals are parallel. Hence, when a beam of
unpolarized light passes through the polaroid film, the
emerging light is plane-Polarized.
Uses of Polaroids a) Polaroids are used in the laboratory to produce and
analyse Plane Polarized light.
b) They are used in sun glasses to cut off the light
reflected from horizontal surfaces such as wet roads,
polished tables etc.

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c) Polaroids are used in motor cars to avoid the

dazzling light of a car approaching from opposite
directions.
d) Polaroid glasses are used for viewing three
dimensional pictures.
e) Polaroids are used in photographic camera as
filters. These filters eliminate the glare of the reflected
light.

Malus Law

When a completely plane polarized light beam is

incident on an analyser, the intensity of the emergent
light varies as the square of the cosine of the angle
between axes of polariser and analyser. It is known as
Malus Law.
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i. e I Cos2 q
Or, I = I0 Cos2 q
If q = 0 i.e. the polarizer and analyser are parallel
Then I = I0 (Maximum)
And if q = 900 i.e. the polariser and analyser are
perpendicular.
Then I = 0 (Minimum)
To Detect Plane Polarized Light
When unpolarized light is seen through a single
crystal

(polaroid)

intensity

of

transmitted

light

decreases, on account of Polarization, on rotating

crystal, intensity of Polarized light doesn't change.
Actually a combination of polariser and analyser helps
in detection of plane Polarized light.
When unpolarized light is transmitted through a
Polaroid filter, it emerges with one-half the intensity
and with vibrations in a single plane; it emerges as
polarized light.
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A Polaroid filter is able to polarize light because of the

chemical composition of the filter material. The filter
can be thought of as having long-chain molecules that
are aligned within the filter in the same direction.
During the fabrication of the filter, the long-chain
molecules are stretched across the filter so that each
molecule is (as much as possible) aligned in say the
vertical direction. As unpolarized light strikes the filter,
the portion of the waves vibrating in the vertical
direction are absorbed by the filter. The general rule is
that the electromagnetic vibrations that are in a
direction parallel to the alignment of the molecules
are absorbed.

Optical Activity
There are certain substances which have property to
rotate the plane Polarized light's plane of vibration
when passed through them, this is called optical
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activity. Such substances are called optically active

substances.
Two Categories of Substances:
(i) Dextrorotatory (Right Handed)
Substances that rotate light in clock wise direction are
called dextrorotatory.
(ii) Laevorotatory (Left Handed)
Substances

that

rotate

light

in

anti-clock

direction are called laevorotatory.

Dependence of Angle of Rotation:
(i) Thickness of crystal.
(ii) Density of crystal.
(iii) Wavelength of light used.
(iv) Temperature of the solution.

Applications of Polarization
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wise

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 plates, a colorful
pattern is revealed. As the top plate is turned, the
color pattern changes as new colors become blocked
and the formerly blocked colors are transmitted.
Polarization is also used in the entertainment industry
to produce and show 3-D movies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. HELP FROM TEACHERS
2. INTERNET.
3. www.google.com
4. N.C.E.R.T Textbooks

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