Measuring magnetic fields
Monday, April 9, 2012 - 07:02
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org) -- Polarized light is a familiar phenomenon, as people who prefer polarized sunglasses can testify. The electric field in a beam of light can vibrate either left-right or up-down, and the scattering or reflection of light can result in the preferential absorption of one or the other of these two "polarizations." The majority of sunlight on Earth, for example, is preferentially polarized in one direction due to scattering in the atmosphere; that's what makes polarized sunglasses so effective.