Why Does Reflected Light Get Polarized But Transmitted Light Does Not?

[sivasayanth]

confusion about polarization...

i have been confusing according this picture which is taken from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/hframe.html" .

Confusion is "i studied that is when the reflect light perpendicular to transmitted light then two ways become plane polarize".but here reflection part get the plane polarization .but transmitted wave does not get any polarize.

please help me . I'm very beginner for this subject...

 

[cmos]

Are you talking about "Polarization by Reflection" http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/phyopt/polar.html#c1 ?

The pictures shows light incident at the Brewster angle. This is the angle at which the p-component of light is 100% transmitted. Thus the only component that is reflected is the s-component, hence s-polarization of reflection.

Note that the s-component is only partially reflected, so that the transmitted light still has the two polarization states. However, assuming no absorption, the transmitted light will have the same amount of p-polarization as the incident light but less in the case of s-polarization since part of it is reflected.

 

[astrokreng]

I can understand your confusion about polarization. It can be a complex topic to grasp, especially for beginners. Let me try to explain it to you in simpler terms.

Polarization refers to the orientation of the electric field in a light wave. When light is reflected or transmitted, the orientation of the electric field can change, resulting in different types of polarization.

In the picture you mentioned, the reflected light is said to be plane polarized because the electric field is oriented in a specific direction, perpendicular to the direction of the light wave. This is known as plane polarization or linear polarization.

However, in the case of transmitted light, the electric field can still be oriented in different directions, resulting in no specific polarization. This is because the transmitted light is a combination of all the different orientations of the electric field of the incident light.

So, in short, the confusion may arise from the fact that reflected light can have a specific polarization, while transmitted light may not have a specific polarization.

I hope this explanation helps to clear up your confusion. Keep studying and exploring the fascinating world of polarization. Good luck!