Why the magnetic field and polarization are not included in general calculations in optics?
Answers
Answer:
Polarization (also polarisation) is a property applying to transverse waves that specifies the geometrical orientation of the oscillations. ... In linear polarization, the fields oscillate in a single direction. In circular or elliptical polarization, the fields rotate at a constant rate in a plane as the wave travels.
Very good question! The answer lies in the relative magnitudes of the electric and magnetic fields in the em wave. If we consider a plane wave in free space, in order to satisfy Maxwell's equations, the amplitudes of electric and magnetic field components of the wave are related by E_0 = c * B_0, where c is the speed of light. Since c is a very large number, the electric field component in an em wave is much larger than its magnetic component. In other words, an em wave is predominantly an electric wave. That is why if we have to change the polarisation (or any other characteristics) of an em wave, we need to affect the electric field.