If one photon accelerates, light-wave electric field vibrates in one plane {plane polarized wave} {polarized light}, and light-wave magnetic field vibrates in perpendicular plane {polarization, wave}|. Typically, many charges accelerate in all possible planes, so there is no polarization.
materials
Materials can allow only light with one electric-field plane to transmit. Polaroid plastic and tourmaline can polarize light.
circular
Asymmetric-molecule electric forces cause substances to rotate electric-field planes {circularly polarized wave} around light travel direction.
Optical activity can vary with light frequency {dispersion, light}|. Higher frequencies cause more rotation, because photons have more energy.
If polarized light with different wavelengths passes through asymmetric medium, shorter wavelengths rotate plane more than longer wavelengths {optical rotatory dispersion} {Cotton effect}.
Materials with asymmetric-molecule electric forces can have refractive index different for left and right circularly polarized light {optical activity}|. Carbon can bond four different atoms, in two mirror-image forms.
5-Physics-Wave-Electromagnetic
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Date Modified: 2022.0225