Polaroid Filters
Recommended for grades 6–12.
Introduction
Polarized light is light in which the waves vibrate in a specific direction. It can be produced by passing light through a special “polarizing” filter. Sunglasses cut down glare on a bright sunny day. Some sunglasses have lenses made of polarizing material. The light waves that vibrate in the same plane as the polarizing material can pass through, but other waves are reflected or absorbed. In this experiment, you will use a computer-interfaced Light Sensor to study the transmission of light through Polaroid filters.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Measure the intensity of transmitted light.
- Study the transmission of light by Polaroid filters.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
See all standards correlations for Physical Science with Vernier »
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.