NARAYANA E- TECHNO SCHOOL,

MARATHAHALLI

SESSION: -2024-2025
PHYSICS PROJECT
TOPIC: Polarisation

ROLL NO: 18615709

CLASS: -12TH CBSE
SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:
Mr. KIRAN KUMAR AKASH REDDY
BOGGULA
 Certificate

Roll No: 18615709

This is to certify that AKASH REDDY BOGGULA student of

class 12th has successfully completed the research on the below
mentioned project under the guidance of Mr. KIRAN KUMAR
during the year of 2024-25 in partial fulfillment of Physics
practical examination conducted by Narayana E- Techno School.

Regards,

Teacher in charge Examiner

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks to the
Principal, Anurupa ma’am of Narayana E Techno School,
Marathahalli, for her encouragement and for all the facilities
that she provided for the project work. I sincerely appreciate
this magnanimity by taking me to her fold for which I shall
remain indebted to her. I extend my hearty thanks to our
physics teacher Kiran Kumar sir, who guided me to the
successful completion of this project. I take this opportunity
express my deep sense of gratitude for his invaluable
guidance, constant encouragement immense motivation,
which has sustained my efforts at all the stages of this project
work.
 CONTENTS:

1. INTRODUCTION

2. POLARISATION

3. TYPES-

• POLARISATION BY TRANSMISSION

• POLARISATION BY REFLECTION

• POLARISATION BY REFRACTION

• POLARISATION BY SCATTERING

4. APPLICATIONS
 INTRODUCTION
A light wave is an electromagnetic wave that travels through the vacuum of
outer space. Light waves are produced by vibrating electric charges. It is
sufficient to merely say that an electromagnetic wave is a transverse wave that
has both an electric and a magnetic component.

The transverse nature of an electromagnetic wave is quite different from any

other type of wave. Let's suppose that we use the customary slinky to model
the behaviour of an electromagnetic wave. As an electromagnetic wave
travelled towards you, then you would observe the vibrations of the slinky
occurring in more than one plane of vibration. This is quite different than what
you might notice if you were to look along a slinky and observe a slinky wave
traveling towards you. Indeed, the coils of the slinky would be vibrating back,
and forth as the slinky approached; yet these vibrations would occur in a single
plane of space. That is, the coils of the slinky might, vibrate up and down or
left and right. Yet regardless of their direction, of vibration, they would be
moving along the same linear direction as you sighted along the slinky. If a
slinky wave were an electromagnetic wave, then the vibrations of the slinky
would occur in multiple planes. Unlike a usual slinky wave, the electric and
magnetic vibrations of an electromagnetic wave occur in numerous planes: A
light wave that is vibrating in more than one plane is referred to as unpolarised
light. Light emitted by the sun, by a lamp in the classroom, or by a candle
flame is unpolarised light.
 POLARISATION
It is possible to transform
unpolarised light into polarised
light. Polarised light waves are
light waves in which the
vibrations occur in a single plane.
The process of transforming
unpolarised light into polarised
light is known as polarisation.
There are a variety of methods of
polarizing light. The four
methods discussed are: -
• Polarisation by Transmission
• Polarisation by Reflection
• Polarisation by Refraction
• Polarisation by Scattering

Polarisation by use of a Polaroid Filter

The most common method of Polarisation involves the use of a
Polaroid filter. Polaroid filters are made of a special material
that is capable of blocking one of the two planes of vibration of
an electromagnetic wave. In this sense, a Polaroid serves as a
device that filters out one-half of the vibrations upon
transmission of the light through the filter. When unpolarised
light is transmitted through a Polaroid filter; it emerges with one-half the
intensity and with vibrations in a single plane; it emerges as polarised light.

A Polaroid filter is able to polarize light because of the chemical composition of

the filter material. The filter can be thought of as having long-chain molecules
that are aligned within the filter in the same direction. The alignment of these
molecules gives the filter a Polarisation axis. This Polarisation axis extends
across the length of the filter and only allows vibrations of the electromagnetic
wave that are parallel to the axis to pass through. Any vibrations that are
perpendicular to the Polarisation axis are blocked by the filter. Thus, a Polaroid
filter with its long-chain molecules aligned horizontally will have a Polarisation
axis aligned vertically. Such a filter will block all horizontal vibrations and allow
the vertical vibrations to be transmitted through the filter. The filter does not
distort the shape or dimensions of the object; it merely serves to produce a
dimmer image of the object since one-half of the light is blocked as it passed
through the filter.
 Polarisation by Reflection
Unpolarised light can also undergo Polarisation by reflection off of non-
metallic surfaces. The extent to which Polarisation occurs is dependent upon
the angle at which the light approaches the surface and upon the material
that the surface is made of. Metallic surfaces reflect light with a variety of
vibrational directions; such reflected light is unpolarised & however,
non-metallic surfaces such as asphalt roadways, snowfields and
water reflect light such that there is a large) concentration of
vibrations in a plane parallel to the reflecting surface. A person
viewing objects by means of light reflected off of non-metallic
surfaces will often perceive a glare if the extent of Polarisation is large.
 Polarisation by Refraction
Polarisation can also occur by the refraction of light. Refraction occurs
when a beam of light passes from one material into another material. At
the surface of the two materials, the path of the beam changes its
direction. The refracted beam acquires some degree of Polarisation. Most
often, the Polarisation occurs in a plane perpendicular to the surface.
Iceland Spar, a rather rare form of the mineral calcite, refracts incident light
into two different paths. The light is split into two beams upon entering the
crystal. Subsequently, if an object is. viewed by looking through an Iceland
Spar crystal, two images wall be seen. The two images are the result of the
double refraction of light. Both refracted light beams are polarised)- one in
a direction parallel to the surface and the other in a direction perpendicular
to the surface. Since these two refracted rays are polarised with a
perpendicular orientation, a, polarizing filter can be used to completely
block one of the images.
 Polarisation by Scattering
Polarisation also occurs when light is scattered while traveling through a
medium. When light strikes the atoms of a material, it will often set the
electrons of those atoms into vibration, The vibrating electrons then produce
their own electromagnetic wave that is radiated outward in all directions.
This newly generated wave strikes neighbouring atoms, forcing their
electrons into vibrations at the same original frequency. These vibrating
electrons produce another electromagnetic wave, that is once more radiated
outward in all directions. This absorption and reemission of light waves
causes the light to be scattered about the medium. This scattered light is
partially polarised.
Polarisation by scattering is observed as light passes through our
atmosphere. The scattered light often produces a glare in the skies.
Photographers know that this partial Polarisation of scattered light leads to
photographs characterized by a washed-out sky. The problem can easily be
corrected by the use of a Polaroid filter. As the filter is rotated, the partially
polarised light is blocked and the glare is reduced. The photographic secret
of capturing a vivid blue sky as the backdrop of a beautiful foreground lies
in the physics of Polarisation and Polaroid filters.
APPLICATIONS OF POLARISATION
Polarisation has a wealth of other applications besides their use in glare-
reducing sunglasses. In industry, Polaroid filters are used to perform stress
analysis tests on transparent plastics. As light passes through a plastic, each
colour of visible light is polarised with its own orientation. If such a plastic is
placed between two polarizing plates. a colourful pattern is revealed. As the
top plate is turned, the colour pattern changes as new colours become
blocked and the formerly blocked colours are transmitted, A common
Physics demonstration involves placing a plastic protractor between two
Polaroid plates and placing them on top of an overhead projector. It is known
that structural stress in plastic ii signified at locations where there is a large
concentration of Coloured bands. This location of stress is usually the
location where Structural failure will most likely occur.

Polarisation is also used in the entertainment industry to produce and show

3-D movies, Three-dimensional movies are actually two movies being shown
at the same time through projectors. The two movies are filmed from two
slightly different camera locations. Each individual movie is then projected
from different sides of the audience onto a metal screen through a polarizing
filter. The polarizing filter used for the projector on the left may have its
Polarisation axis aligned horizontally while the polarizing filter used for the
projector on the right would have its Polarisation axis aligned vertically.
Consequently, there are two slightly different movies being projected onto a
screen. Each movie is cast by light that is polarised with an orientation
perpendicular to the other movie, The audience then wears glasses that
have two Polaroid filters. The result of this arrangement of projectors and
filters is that the left eye sees the movie that is projected from the right
projector while the right eye sees the movie that is projected from the left
projector. This gives the viewer a perception of depth.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. 12th class physics NCERT Books.

2. 12th class physics practical Book.

3. Photos from Google image.

4. More information from Wikipedia.