Question

Which waves can be polarized?

Answer 1

1. Longitudinal waves cannot be polarised; only transverse waves can.
2. Longitudinal waves, such as sound waves, cannot be polarised because particle motion is one-dimensional.
3. Longitudinal waves are waves where the displacement of the medium is parallel to the wave's direction of propagation.
4. Only transverse waves can be polarised because their vibrations can occur in all directions perpendicular to the direction of travel.
5. The geometrical orientation of the oscillations is determined by a transverse wave feature known as polarization.
6. A transverse wave oscillates in a direction that is perpendicular to the wave's velocity. In linear polarisation, the fields oscillate in just one direction.
7. Hence, the transverse wave can be polarized.