Scattering and

Polarization
Light waves can scatter
off water droplets, dust
particles and other
molecules in air
Some wavelengths in white
light scatter more than
others (Rayleigh scattering)
This is why the sky is blue
The polarization of light
refers to the plane in
which the waveform and
electric force field lies

Most light is unpolarized
The waveforms and electric
force field on a given ray
keep jumping around in
orientation while always
perpendicur to the ray
Scattered or reflected light
is polarized in particular
planes
Polaroid sunglasses can
block out polarized light
from sky and ground
3D movies & other
applications of polarizers;


1
http://icamconferences.org/iv
an_talk/
Video synchronized with the
ppt.-file of the presentation


Reminder: HW #11 due on
Thursday
Today: Finish Ch.13 material
Thursday: Chapter 14+
Lab Tour (optional):
after the class time on
Tuesday, December 8,
4:30-6PM.

Computers & cell
phones allowed in
class today!!!
Be TRANSMITTED
laser aimed at water or
glass
Be REFLECTED
specular reflection of light
by a mirror
diffuse reflection of the
light in this room off all the
other students
reflection is re-radiation of
light by the electrons in
the reflecting material
Be ABSORBED
Cyan light shining on a red
apple is absorbed by
electrons in the apple
Something new!!
A light wave shining on
molecules in the air or
plastic or other
transparent materials
can be
SCATTERED
Light ray moves over to
the side in all directions
rather than forward,
backward or being
absorbed.
Intensity of the scattered
light can depend on
wavelength
The shorter the wavelength,
the more light is scattered
blue is scattered more than
red.
this is why the sky is blue and
sunsets are red. (Fig. 13.1)


Think of white light
from sun as a mixture
of R, G and B
Blue is scattered the
most so sky looks
blue when we look
away from the sun
For same reason sun
looks yellow (red +
green)
More atmosphere
allows next shortest
wavelengths (green)
to scatter so sunset
looks red
Intensity inversely proportional to
4

Light waves with longer wavelength
scatter more
But why blue and not violet?
Spectral response of cones
in typical human eye
Our eye sensitivity to the
blue color is much stronger
than that to violet!
We perceive the deep
waters being of blue color
for the same reason!
Earth
Atmosphere
Rays from Sun
(not scattered)
White or yellow
A. Because of
scattering of short-
wavelength blue light
coming from the Sun;
B. Because of light
absorption similar to
that in color filters;
C. A & B
D. Because of
dispersion and total
internal reflection;
E. None of the above;

D. Black
A. Red;
B. White;
C. Blue;
E. Yellow;

A. Red;
B. Green;
C. Blue
D. Black;
E. White;

Larger particles scatter red as well
as blue and hence look white.

Dust or smoke
Clouds;
Milk;
Colloidal suspension

There are many
other types of
scattering
A. Because of light
absorption similar to that
in color filters;
B. Because of scattering
of blue and green light
and only red light
coming to our eyes;
C. Because of its
polarized nature;
D. Because of
chromatic & spherical
aberrations;
E. None of the above;

Secularly reflected light blocked using a polarizer (Polaroid film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mudflats-polariser.jpg
Speed of light in empty space is c = 186,000 miles/sec
= 3 x 10
8
meters/sec
Ray
Waveform
Amplitude
(maximum height)
The intensity of the
light is proportional to
the amplitude squared.
Large amplitude
means bright light.
Low amplitude means
dim light
W
a
v
e
l
e
n
g
t
h

Light consists of electric (and
magnetic) fields moving through
space at the speed of light
The waveform can be replaced
by a set of arrows
perpendicular to the ray whose
tips lie along the waveform
Waves on a rope
Think about the waves on a rope:

Same story:

Light is polarized if the waveform
and electric force field arrows
remains in the same plane
The (green) electric force arrows
must always be perpendicular to
the ray
This is a light ray traveling in the z-
direction and polarized in the y-
direction
Here is a light ray traveling in the
same direction but polarized in
the x-direction
We will visualize the polarization in
the x-y plane, looking at rays
head-on
The green force arrows point up
and down or left and right,
stacked up behind one-another.
Here is the convention for
visualizing vertical and horizontal
polarization
x
Looking at ray "head-on" see
green arrows up & down
y
z
x
y
z
y
x
A. Vertical;
B. Horizontal;
C. Along the
light
propagation
direction (yellow
arrow);
D. None of the
above;
y
x
For unpolarized light the
plane of polarization
keeps jumping around
But the electric field
arrows remain
perpendicular to the ray
(direction of travel of the
wave)

We visualize this in the x-y
plane (looking into the
ray) as shown at right
The many crossed double
sided arrows are the
symbol for unpolarized
light
See Physics 2000
x
y
z
electric force arrows
jump around while
remaining perpen-
dicular to the ray
wave travels in
z-direction
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/index.pl
The special angle of
incidence is where the
refracted ray and reflected
ray are perpendicular to each
other
This is called Brewster's angle
To understand, imagine the
electric force arrows of the
incident unpolarized light to
be decomposed into two
perpendicular polariza-tions
the first polarization is
horizontal (force arrows are
parallel to the flat reflecting
horizontal surface and
perpendicular to the ray)
in the 2nd (Fig. 13.5), the
arrows are perpendicular to
both the ray and the
horizontal force arrows

The second polarization cannot be
sustained in the reflected ray because
the force arrows would be parallel to
that ray (impossible for a light ray)
Hence, only the horizontal polarization
survives in the reflected ray



When you wear polaroid
sunglasses they block light
polarized in the plane of your
two eyes
When your head is vertical this is
the horizontal plane
Since reflected light from the
ground or scattered light from
the sun are mostly polarized in
the horizontal plane such light is
mostly blocked
Demo with polaroid filters
The first filter blocks one
polarization and lets through the
other (perpendicular) one
The second blocks more and
more of the remaining polarized
light as its axis is rotated so as to
permit only the polarization
blocked by the first
When the axes of the two
polaroid filters at at right angles
to each other no light comes
through
Physics 2000 polarization applets
The polaroid filter works because it
has long molecules lined up parallel
to each other like hairs
Components of light with
polarization parallel to the
molecules are absorbed and
components of light polarized
perpendicular to the molecules are
absorbed and don't go through
Other demos with crossed polarizers
Third polarizer at angle in between
lets light through again
Stressed plastic between polarizers
shows colors which reveal the
stress patterns


Use color filters to
make the left and
right eyes perceiving
slightly differen
images

http://www.3dmovie
s.com/
In 3D movies:
A. Left eye sees the same
as the right eye;
B. Left eye sees the
inversed image
compared to that
seen by the right eye;
C. The images seen by
the two eyes are
slightly different and
taken from different
angles.