Polarization is a property of light and electromagnetic radiation discovered by a French physicist in the early 1800s. Unpolarized light has waves in a mix of directions, while polarized light has all arrows pointing in the same direction. Polarization occurs naturally and is used in polarized sunglasses, radio antennas, and satellite communications.
Polarization is a property of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, that is understood primarily through the study of the waves of radiation. It was discovered by Etienne Louis Malus, a French physicist in the early 1800s. Visible light is the range of electromagnetic radiation that humans can see, and its wavelengths range from about 380 to 740 nanometers. Electromagnetic radiation is radiation produced by electric and magnetic fields that travel together at the speed of light through space.
Light has been described as being made up of two sets of transverse waves which are at right angles to each other. These two sets of waves represent the electric and magnetic segments of the radiation. While bias can be quite complex, it can be better understood using simple examples.
Sometimes it is easier to consider this property if we consider only one of the two sets of waves: the electric set. In unpolarized light, the waves are in a mix of directions. The waves have many different orientations around the direction the light is going. Each wave is represented by an arrow that is at right angles to the direction the wave is moving; however, one arrow can point sideways, one can point up, and another can point down.
Although unpolarized light can be chaotic, polarization has the opposite effect. Polarized light has the orientation of all arrows pointing in the same direction. Regardless of which direction the arrows may be pointing, all arrows follow suit exactly.
Some scientists might mention circularly polarized light. In that case, the arrow representing light waves still exists, but rotates as the wave moves. Some have likened the arrow depicting circularly polarized light waves to a clock hand, which rotates around as the wave progresses.
Polarization also occurs naturally in some cases, such as when light passes through particular crystals or through man-made material designed to create this effect. Polarized sunglasses, for example, work by letting in only vertically polarized light. They are popular with outdoor enthusiasts and people looking to reduce glare from the sun.
Radio transmitting and receiving antennas are also polarized and one of the most common uses of this property is in radar. AM and FM radios use vertical polarization while televisions use horizontal polarization. Interestingly, these two directions alternate in the use of satellite communications, including for television use. A satellite can carry two distinct transmissions of one frequency and double the amount of customers it can serve.
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