Which polarization state of light is transmitted and absorbed (and why) in regular plastic polarizers (which are actually long strings of molecules , imbedded in iodine). Is it true that light with E fields parallel to the molecular strands create acceleration along that direction, which then creates re-radiation; so that the transmitted component of the polarized light is parallel to the molecular strands? Or is the transmitted part perpendicular to these strands? Where does the energy associated with the absorption go?