When light waves travel, they can vibrate in different directions. Polarization is the phenomenon where these light waves are limited to vibrating in a specific direction.
Light waves are made up of electric and magnetic fields that oscillate as the wave travels. When unpolarized light passes through a polarizing filter, it allows only the light waves vibrating in a specific direction to pass through, while blocking the waves vibrating in other directions.
There are two main types of polarization:
Polarization has several practical applications, including:
Here are some key points to remember about polarization:
Remember to practice identifying polarized light in different scenarios and think about how polarization enhances various technologies we use.
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