Exam-style question
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What is the cause of polarisation in waves?.
- A.Waves can only vibrate in one direction
- B.Waves can vibrate in multiple directions
- C.Waves have a constant amplitude
- D.Waves travel at different speeds
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- Waves can only vibrate in one direction
Explanation
Why this works
The cause of polarisation is that waves can only vibrate in one direction. This mechanism restricts the oscillation of the wave to a single plane, leading to the effect of polarisation.
The consequence is that only transverse waves can be polarised, providing evidence that they are distinct from longitudinal waves.
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