PHYS-P 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 45: Transverse Wave, Linear Polarization, Polarizer
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Document Summary
The waves of light are composed of electric and magnetic oscillations. A type of transverse wave: oscillations move perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling overall. Other types of polarization other than linear polarization: circular polarization: moving the wave clockwise or counterclockwise so that it oscillates in both vertical and horizontal directions. Materials can be transparent to some materials but not to another. There are long oriented molecules insight of a polarization filter: polarized light parallel to molecules is absorbed by the filter, polarized light perpendicular to molecules pass through filter. Lcds make use of two polarizers: tn panels are set up as a pair that is crossed. Solid: molecules are stationary (can"t move around: lowest energy solid is usually a crystal. Liquid: molecules move but are still fairly close to each other. Liquid at high temperatures and as they cool they align to a particular direction in space (called the nematic phase)
