Summary of Polarization - As Level Physics (9702)

Summary of Key Concepts on Polarization

Main Ideas:

• Definition of Polarization:
  • Polarization is the process of limiting the direction of a wave to one plane, applicable only to transverse waves.
  • An unpolarized wave travels in multiple directions, while a polarized wave travels in a single direction.
• Types of Polarized Waves:
  • Vertical Plane Polarized Wave: A wave that travels only in the vertical direction.
  • Horizontal Plane Polarized Wave: A wave that travels only in the horizontal direction.
• Polaroid:
  • A Polaroid is a material (usually glass or plastic) with a slit that allows only waves in one direction to pass through.
  • It converts unpolarized waves into polarized waves, but this process reduces the intensity of the light.
• Intensity Reduction:
  • The intensity of the polarized wave is less than that of the unpolarized wave because only the component of light in the desired direction remains.
• Experimental Demonstration:
  • An experiment using two boards (A and B) and a rope demonstrates Polarization:
    • Board A has a vertical slit, allowing only vertical waves to pass.
    • Board B, when oriented horizontally, does not allow vertical waves to pass.
• Polarization of Light Waves:
  • Polarization occurs when an electron transitions from a higher energy level to a lower energy level.
  • The direction of this transition determines whether the resulting light wave is vertically or horizontally polarized.
• Malus's Law:
  • This law states that the intensity of transmitted light through a polarizer depends on the angle between the light's Polarization direction and the polarizer's axis.
  • Formula: I = I0 cos2(θ), where I is the transmitted intensity, I0 is the incident intensity, and θ is the angle between the light's Polarization direction and the polarizer's axis.

Methodology/Instructions:

• To demonstrate Polarization:
  • Materials Needed:
    • Two boards (A and B)
    • A rope or similar object to create waves
  • Procedure:
    1. Fix one end of the rope and move your hand to create waves.
    2. Observe the waves passing through Board A (vertical slit) and Board B (horizontal slit).
    3. Note that Board A allows vertical waves to pass, while Board B does not allow vertical waves to pass when oriented horizontally.

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