Polarization of Light
Recommended for grades 9–12.
Introduction
Perhaps you have seen a display of polarized sunglasses in a store. You can quickly test to see if the glasses are really polarized by looking through the lenses of two glasses and rotating one pair by 90ยบ. If both pair of glasses are polarized, the lenses will appear to go black. Why is that?
To explain the darkened lenses, we need to think of the light as an electromagnetic wave. An electromagnetic wave has varying electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling. This experiment focuses only on the electric field variation, represented by a vector. Light emitted from a typical source such as a flashlight is randomly polarized, meaning that the electric vector points in varying directions.
Objectives
- Observe the change in light intensity of light passing through crossed polarizing filters.
- Measure the transmission of light through two polarizing filters as a function of the angle between their axes and compare it to Malus's law.
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
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.