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Polarization
- Polarization is the process of changing unpolarized light into polarized light
- Therefore, to understand what polarization is we first need to understand the differences between polarized light and unpolarized light.
Wize Concept
Remember that light (or Electromagnetic Radiation) is an example of a Transverse Wave produced by the oscillation of electric and magnetic fields
Unpolarized Light
- In unpolarized light the electric field oscillates in every 2D plane along the direction of the light's motion
Polarized Light
- In polarized light the electric field oscillates in only 1 2D plane along the direction of the light's motion
Polarization: Passing Light Through Polarizer
- As unpolarized light passes through a polarizer the polarizer only allows the electric field in 1 2D plane to pass through, all other electric fields in 2D planes are blocked
Polarization: Reflecting Light off Surface
- As light is reflected off a surface the unpolarized light is subsequently polarized as the only light that is reflected will be parallel to the reflective surface
