What described the behavior of light waves interacting with materials?

The interaction of light waves with materials can be described by polarization, which refers to the orientation of the oscillations of light waves. Light, which is an electromagnetic wave, can oscillate in various planes. When light encounters materials, certain conditions can cause these oscillations to become aligned in a specific direction, resulting in polarized light. This is particularly significant in applications involving optical filters, sunglasses, and in various technologies such as LCD screens, where controlling the direction of light is crucial for proper functionality.

Polarization occurs through processes like reflection, scattering, or transmission through certain materials that exhibit the ability to filter specific orientations of light waves. Understanding polarization is essential in optics, as it impacts how light interacts with various substances and can enhance the performance of optical devices.

In contrast, while refraction involves the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another, and diffraction relates to the spreading of light waves as they pass through an aperture or around an obstacle, these phenomena describe different aspects of light behavior in materials. Interference involves the superposition of two light waves, resulting in a pattern that varies, but it does not specifically pertain to the interaction of light with materials in the same way that polarization does.