Phys 162 Lab 8

What is the main purpose of using a polarizer in this experiment?

• To block UV radiation

•  To split light into colors

• To filter light so it vibrates in only one direction

• To amplify the intensity of light

What type of light enters the first polarizer from the laser in this experiment?

•  Polarized
  

• Unpolarized

• Circularly polarized
  

• Already partially polarized

What variable are you primarily changing during the experiment?

• The wavelength of the light

• The distance between polarizers

• The angle between the polarizers

• The type of light source

Which physical quantity will you be measuring with the light sensor?

• Wavelength

• Voltage

• Intensity of light

• Electric field

According to theory, what should happen when the second polarizer is at 90° to the first?

• Light intensity will be at a maximum

• Light intensity will remain unchanged

• No light should pass through

•  Light will double in intensity

What happens to the light when you start turning the second polarizer away from the first one?

• It gets brighter the more you rotate it

• Nothing changes — the brightness stays the same

•  It gets dimmer following a cosine-squared relationship

• The light disappears instantly after any rotation

If you stick a third polarizer between two that are crossed (at 90°), what do you see?

• Still no light — it’s completely blocked

• Suddenly a bright beam appears

• Some light goes through — more than before

• Everything goes dark on the screen

Why do we use a laser instead of a regular light bulb in this experiment?

• Lasers are cheaper and easier to aim

• Lasers shine in ultraviolet, which is cooler

• Lasers give polarized and consistent light

• Light bulbs don’t work with polarizers at all

What does a polarizer actually do to the light that hits it?

• It boosts the light’s intensity

•  It lines up the electric field in one direction

• It doubles the light’s wavelength

•  It makes the light spin in circles

Why do we rotate the second polarizer during the experiment?

• To make the laser beam stronger

• To align the optics
  

• To see how brightness depends on angle

• To change the color of the laser