If an electromagnetic wave travels in the positive \( x \)-direction, and its electric field oscillates in the \( y \)-direction, what is the polarization of the wave?
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When the electric field oscillates in a fixed direction while the wave propagates in a perpendicular direction, the wave is said to be linearly polarized.
Since the electric field oscillates in the \( y \)-direction while the wave propagates in the \( x \)-direction, the wave is said to be linearly polarized along the \( y \)-axis. Linear polarization occurs when the electric field oscillates along a single direction.