Polarization

UK Physics-9841895036
Department of PHYSICS
CCRC
2077

1 Defination
It is the phenomenon of confining the vibration of light
into a single column or into a single plane perpendicular
to the direction of propagation.
Figure 2: symbol
1.1 Polarizer
It is an optical filter which can generate plane polarized
ex: Ordinary light
light from light waves coming from the mixed polariza-
tion.
1.4 Polarized light
1.2 Analyzer
The light, vibrations of which are confined into a single
It is an optical filter which is used to check whether the
direction perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
light has been polarized or not.

Figure 3: Symbol

ex: light passed from a Turmaline crystal.

1.5 Plane of Vibrations and Plane of Po-

larization
1.5.1 Plane of Vibration

It is the plane passing through the direction of propaga-

tion and perpendicular to the plane of polarization.
Figure 1: An experiment to show the transverse nature
of light
1.5.2 Plane of Polarization

It is the plane containing the vibrations of polarized light.

1.3 Unpolarized light
The light, vibrations of which are confined in all direction
perpendicular to the direction of propagation.

1
 Applications

- it is used in the production of polarized sunglases.

- it is used in the photographs
- it is used to find the refractive index of the medium.
..
..
..
Figure 4: Plane of polarization and Plane of vibration
H.W

2 Brewester’s law
Statement
The refractive index of the medium is equal to the
tangent of the polarizing angle for the given medium. 3 Polaroids
i.e. µ = tanφp
It is a device which is used to produce the plane
Where µ is the refractive index of the medium polarized light.
and φp is the polarizing angle.

Figure 6: Polaroid

Uses:

It is used;
1) to produce and analyze polarized light
Figure 5: Brewester’s law 2) to view 3D pictures
1) to reduce the glare of reflected light.
Consider a unpolarized light PQ incidents on a surface
of a medium of refractive index µ at an polarizing angle
φp such that it gets reflected along QS and refracted
along QR as shown in the figure. Here the reflected light
is completely polarized.

From Snell’s law;

sinφ
µ = sinrp .......(1)
For polarizing angle, it must be,
φp + r = 90◦
or r = 90◦ − φp
Now, equation (1) becomes,
sin
µ = sin(90◦p−φp )
sin φ
= cos φpp Figure 7: Glare of reflected light reduced by glass
= tanφp
∴ µ = tan φp This proves the statement.

2
4 Mallu’s Law 5 Short Questions
1. Is polarization possible in longitudinal
Statement waves? If not, why?

If a beam of polarized light is incident on an ana-
lyzer, the intensity (I) of the light transmitted from the
analyzer is directly proportional to the square of the
cosine of angleθ between the tansmission axes of the
analyzer and the polarizer.
No. polarization of wave means to confine the vibrations
in to a plane perpendicular to the direction of prop-
agation. In case of longitudinal waves, the vibrations
take place in the direction of propagation. Hence,
polarization is not possible in longitudinal waves.

i.e. Iα cos2 θ 2. Does the polarizing angle for a transparent

medium depend upon the wavelength of the light?
Yes, according to Brewster’s law, µ = tanφp , where φp is
the polarizing angle. So, polarizing angle depends upon
the refractive index of transparent medium. Also, from
Cauchy’s relation, µ = A + λB2 . Hence, the polarizing
angle depends upon the wavelength of light.

3. Can sound wave be polarized?

No, sound waves are longitudinal waves. Hence, they
will not be polarized but only transverse waves will be
polarized.
4. How do you show that light waves are transve-
rse in nature?
A tourmaline crystal is cut parallel to its axis. When
unpolarized light is allowed to fall normally on a pair of
such tourmaline crystal placed with their axes parallel,
Figure 8: Mallu’s Law the intensity of emergent light is maximum. If the crys-
tal axes are kept perpendicular, the intensity of incident
light will be maximum. This shows that light waves ware
transverse in nature.

If, E◦ be the amplitude of the electric vector of 5. Are light waves longitudinal? Justify your
plane polarized light transmitted by polarizer, then the answer?
intensity I◦ of the light incident on the analyzer is,
Light waves are not longitudinal, since the direction of
propagation of light wave in perpendicular to the direc-
I◦ αE◦2 . . . . (1)
tion of vibration of electric and magnetic fields vectors
associated with light waves.
The amplitude E◦ can be resolved into two com-
ponents, E◦ cos θ and E◦ sin θ. The component E◦ cos θ 6. What are polarizer and analyzer?
only transmits through analyzer because of being par-
allel. Therefore, the intensity I of the light transmitted is, A device used to polarize an ordinary light is called po-
larizer and a device used to deteet whether the light is
Iα(E◦ cos θ)2 . . . . (2) polarized or not is called an analyzer. The same material
crystal can be use as polarizer as well as analyzer.
Dividing (2) by (1) 7. The polarizing angle for a transparent
medium is 60° what is the refractive ind-
I 2
ex of the medium?
I◦ = cos θ
We have,
or,I = I◦ cos2 θ tan φp = µ
or µ = tan60◦
Which proves the statement. µ = 1.732

3
8. In our experience, radio waves are pola-
rized, but light is not why?
In regional communication an earth’s surface, radio
waves are typically broadcast from currents oscillating
in tall. Vertical towers and wave have vertical planes
of polarization. Light originated from the vibration of
atoms or electronic transitions within an atoms, which
represent oscillations in all possible direction and light is
said to be unpolarized.
5. Unpolarized light travelling in a medium with
refractive index $\mu$ is incident on the surface
of the liquid, above which there is air. If the light
is incident on the surface at an angle of 31.2°
with respect to the normal, the light reflected back
into the liquid is completely polarized.
a) Find refractive index of the liquid.
b) What angle does the refracted light travelling in
air make with the normal to the surface?
[ $\mu$ of liquid = 1.65 & r = 58.8°]

6 Numerical
1. Calculate the polarizing angle for light travelling
from water of refractive index 1.33 to glass of refra-
ctive index 1.53?

Refractive index of glass with respect to water,

wµg = wµa × aµg
aµg
= aµw

Letθp be the polarizing angle,

then tan θp = wµg = 1.15
θp = tan− 1(1.15) = 49
Hence, the polarizing angle is 49°.

2. The critical angle of light in a certain substance

is 45°. What is the polarizing angle.

we know that,

1 1
µ= sin C = sin45◦ = 1.41

let θ be the polarizing angle, then

tan θp = µ = 1.41
or. θp = 54.7◦

3. A parallel beam of light is incident at an angle

of 60° on a glass plate surface and the reflected
beam is completely polarized. What is the angle
of refraction for transmitted beam? What is the
refractive index?
sin i
Since, µ = sin r
sin i
or sin r = µ
sin 60◦
= tan 60◦

= 12
or, r = 30◦
Alternatively, r = 90◦ − i = 90◦ − 60◦ = 30◦
Hence, angle of refraction is 30◦ .

4. A beam of light is incident at a polarizing angle

as a piece of transparent material of refractive in-
dex 1.62. What is the angle of refraction for the
transmitted beam? [r = 31.7°]