5.1 What is polarization?

Polarization is a phenomenon associated with transverse waves.

A polarized glasses reduces unwanted glare and improves the vision clarity in a bright situation,
thus provides comfort to our eyes.
5.1 What is polarization?

Light is a transverse wave → the vibration of particle is

perpendicular to the direction of propagation of wave.

Due to this reason, the vibration can occur in all directions

perpendicular to the direction of wave travel.

Light wave is created by electric charges that vibrate in a

variety of directions

A light wave that is vibrating in more than one plane is referred to as unpolarized light.
5.1 What is polarization?
Light emitted by the sun, by a lamp in the classroom, or by a candle flame are the examples of
unpolarized light.

An unpolarized wave can be transformed into a polarized

wave.
Polarized light is the light
in which the wave vibrates
The process of transforming unpolarized light into polarized
in single plane. light is known as polarization.

Linearly polarized waves can be created using a polarizing filter, which only transmits (allows
through) oscillations in a certain plane.

Polarizing filters for electromagnetic waves can be made from materials such as polaroid, which
contains many small aligned crystals that prefer to absorb light polarized in one plane.
5.2 Polaroid

The product of the polarization is called a

plane polarized wave.

We can imagine that the polaroid filter as having long-chain molecules that are aligned within
the filter in the same direction.

The alignment of these molecules gives the filter a polarization axis, which is also called the
transmission axis.
5.2 Polaroid
The polarization axis/transmission axis is the direction along which the filter passes the electric
field of an electromagnetic wave.

When the unpolarized light strikes the filter, the portion of the waves that vibrates along the
direction of transmission axis will pass through.

Any vibrations that are perpendicular to the transmission axis will be blocked by the filter.

If an unpolarized light passes through a

polarizer, the intensity of the transmitted
light is 1/2 of what it was coming in.

Exercise: Q121, Q122, Q123

5.2 Polaroid

Horizontally
polarized wave.
Vertically polarized
wave.
5.2 Polaroid

Direction of transmission axis Horizontal Vertical

Direction of alignment of molecules in Vertical Horizontal

filter
Vertical direction of wave Absorbed Pass through

Horizontal direction of wave Pass through Absorbed

Checkpoint

State and explain whether a sound wave can be polarized.

Answer:
Sound wave cannot be polarized because it is a longitudinal wave.

The vibration of particles in a longitudinal wave is always along the direction of wave
propagation.

Hence, the sound wave will just pass through the polaroid without any filtering.
5.3 Polaroid & Analyzer
If a linearly polarized wave is allowed to pass through a polarizer with transmission axis parallel
to the polarization direction of the wave, the amplitude and intensity of the transmitted wave is
unperturbed.

Direction of rope
vibrations

Direction of wave travel

We can determine the direction of polarization of a polarized light if the transmission axis of the
polarizer is known.

This kind of polarizer is called an analyzer.

5.3 Polaroid & Analyzer
A polarizer produces plane polarized wave.

An analyzer is used to examine whether light is plane polarized or not.

A polarizer can serve as an analyzer and vice versa.

The analyzer acts as a subsequent polarizer.
5.3 Polaroid & Analyzer

Unpolarized Polarized
Polarized light after
light light analyzer

Polarized
light Polarizer Analyzer

Intensity can be
reduced further
Intensity is
(depending on the
reduced by
orientation).
half.
5.4 Malus’s Law
This diagram shows that the transmission axis of the polaroid is at an angle  to the plane of
incident (plane polarized) light.

If  = 0, the light wave will go through the

polaroid.

If  = 90, the light wave will be blocked → no

transmitted light

This indicates that the intensity of the transmitted light depends on the angle .
5.4 Malus’s Law
Since intensity  amplitude squared A2, the amplitude of transmitted light depends on the angle
 as well.
Consider the incident light has amplitude A0, the component of the amplitude transmitted
through the polaroid is

A0 cos 
Since 𝐼 ∝ 𝐴20
𝐼0 𝐼 where
2 = 𝐴 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 2 I0 = intensity of incident light
𝐴0 0
A0 = amplitude of incident light
I = intensity of transmitted light

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡, 𝐼 = 𝐼0 cos 2 

This relationship is known as Malus’s Law.

Checkpoint
Plane polarized light of intensity 12 W m-2 is incident at a polaroid.

Determine the intensity of the transmitted light when the angle between the plane of
polarization of the incident light and the transmission axis of the polaroid is

(a) 45
(b) 60

Answer:
According to Malus’s Law, 𝐼 = 𝐼0 cos2 
(a) 𝐼 = 12 cos 2 45 = 6.0 𝑊 𝑚−2
(b) 𝐼 = 12 cos 2 60 = 3.0 𝑊 𝑚−2

Exercise: Q124, Q125, Q126, Q131

5.4 Malus’s Law
𝐼 = 𝐼0 cos 2 

Malus’ law states that the intensity of plane-polarized light passing through an analyzer varies as
the square of the cosine of the angle between the transmission axes of the polarizer and
analyzer.
5.4 Malus’s Law
𝐼
= cos2 𝜃
𝐼0

Fraction of light intensity transmitted is equal to cos2 

This means that the graph of I against  is a cosine squared graph.

Exercise: Q134, Q130, Q135, Q136