In: Physics
Use well labeled diagrams to explain the following two phenomena: the first is that at sunset (or sunrise) the sun appears to be much redder than at mid-day, the second involves the pattern of polarization of the sky when the sun is about to set. Where is the sky most polarized? What orientation is this polarization and why?
( 1)During sunrise and sunset, the rays travel long path in the atmosphere because they are very close to the horizon. Therefore, light other than red is mostly scattered away. Most of the red light, which is the least scattered, enters our eyes. Hence, the sun and the sky appear red. the Labelled diagram in the sheet below
(2 )Sky polarisation pattern is circular. When the sun is located as zenith, polarisation is entirely independent with azimuth and decreases with increasing altitude. The pattern will continue when the sun approach to the horizon (Sunset or sunrise)
(3) The blue sky is most strongly polarised in a plane at 90° to the sun. At right angles, the light scattered by the molecule is always strongly polarised with its electric vector perpendicular to the incident light direction. The sky is polarized in the effective North-Zenith-South plane .this is slightly offset because the sun's azimuth is not due East