Adam (Bn)
Jake Graham (B Jake Graham (Bn
Brief introduction
dicular to it. On the other side of the second fil-
S
ter, the light intensity is reduced to 0%. This is al-
cience experiments that you can do at home are often very simple, or at least have simple
explanations. The ‘signature’ do-at-home science
experiment would be mixing bicarbonate of soda
so as expected. The reason for this as is follows. Here is a sketch of unpolarised light passing through 2 polarising filters:
and vinegar which results in lots of bubbles being formed. The concept of two things reacting to form a new product is simple, and the chemistry behind said reaction is not too hard either. However, there is an experiment which delves past the simple observations of the human eye, an experiment that baffled the top scientists for years. All it takes is 3 polarizing filters and a source of light.
The explanation (sort of!) The experiment.
Light is a wave made of oscillating electronic and magnetic radiation. Of course, the direction of os-
Let me set up the experiment: a ray of light is
cillation can change. As shown in the diagram, the
shone through a single polarising filter. On the
first polarizing filter only allows light of a specific
other side, the intensity of the light is reduced by
direction of oscillation to pass through. The sec-
50%. This is expected, as roughly half of the light is
ond polarizing filter’s “angle of polarization” (i.e.
filtered out by the polarising filter. A second polar-
whatever direction of oscillation is allowed to pass
ising filter is placed behind the first filter, perpen-
through) is perpendicular to the first one.
