Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.

Lab 3 – Properties of Light

Part I: Polarization

Introduction

Light is a transverse wave. It has the effect of creating an electric field and a
magnetic field at various points in space. These fields are vectors and are perpendicular
(transverse) to the direction of propagation of the light. By convention, we define the
polarization of a light wave as the direction of its electric field.

In light from most sources, the polarization (i.e. the electric field direction)
changes randomly from moment to moment and from point to point. This kind of light is
called unpolarized. In light from certain sources, however, the E-field oscillates back
and forth along a fixed axis. This light is called linearly polarized. Since the E-field
oscillates, we relax our definition some and usually talk about a polarization axis for the
light (instead of direction). (Note there is also circular and elliptical polarization, but we
won’t discuss that.)

We will investigate polarization using a linear polarizer (a.k.a. polaroid), which

is a piece of plastic where the long polymers have been stretched so that they all line up
in one direction. When light of a certain polarization is incident on a linear polarizer, the
component of the E-field in line with the polymer molecules is absorbed (i.e. it makes
electrons move along the long polymers much like an antenna). The component of the E-
field perpendicular to the molecules is not absorbed and thus transmitted.

NOTE: We define the POLARIZATION AXIS of the polarizer as the polarization

direction that is TRANSMITTED, (i.e. perpendicular to the polymers)
Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

Consider polarized light incident on a polarizer. Define θ, as the angle between

the polarization of the incoming light and the polarization axis of the polarizer. If the
incident light has E-field amplitude, E0, then after the linear polarizer, the light will be in
line with the polarization axis of the polarizer and have E-field amplitude E0cosθ. Since
intensity of a light wave is proportional to its electric field squared, if the incident
intensity is I0, the intensity after the polarizer will be I0cos2θ.

Consider unpolarized light incident on a polarizer. After the polarizer, the light
will be in line with the polarization axis of the polarizer. But the intensity of light that is
transmitted is different depending on all the possible values of θ. If you average over all
possible values of θ, you find that the transmitted light after the polarizer has intensity
I0/2.

Activity 1: Single Polarizer

On the optical bench, line up the optical bench light, a single polarizer and the
white screen.

1. Predict what you will see on the screen as you rotate the polarizer. Why?
I predict that there will be no change since the light is just being rotated
by the polarizer.

2. Now turn on the bench light and rotate the polarizer. Was your prediction correct?
Explain any differences.
The prediction was correct. There was no change as the polarizer was rotated.
The light had the same intensity throughout the rotation.

3. Is the optical bench lamp polarized or unpolarized light? How do you know?
The bench lamp is not polarized since light traveling through two polarized
surfaces would not travel under certain rotations. However, there was no
rotation where the light could not travel through.
Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

Activity 2: Multiple Polarizers

On the optical bench, line up the optical bench light, two polarizers and the white
screen. The polarizers in this lab have a groove on the top of them. There are notches
every 15 degrees on the rotating part. On one side you should be able to see a black line
that can be used as a reference. Line up the first polarizer (nearest the light) with the
black line vertical.

4. Predict what you will see on the screen as you rotate the second polarizer. Why?
I think that the intensity of the light will decrease as the second polarizer is rotated
when the polarizers block both directions of light.

5. Now turn on the bench light and rotate the second polarizer. Was your prediction
correct? Explain any differences.
In a certain rotation there was a blockage of light when the polarizers differed by 90
degrees. This matches the prediction.

6. Rotate the second polarizer until a minimum intensity is transmitted to the screen.
What must be the angle between the polarization direction of the light from the first
polarizer and the polarization axis of the second polarizer?
When the first polarizer was at 0 degrees: light is transmitted the least at 75,
105, 225, and 285 degrees. There was no light transmission at 90 and 270
degrees.

Leave the polarizers in the position from above and replace the white screen with
the photodiode light sensor. The light sensor measures the intensity of light falling on it
and outputs a proportional voltage to the voltmeter. For the purposes of this lab, we will
record the voltage value as being representative of the intensity.

♦ Position the light sensor as close to the second polarizer as possible with
out touching it.
♦ Turn the multimeter to read DC Volts (V with a straight line)
♦ Set the light sensor to the medium setting (0-6000 Lux).

7. There may be stray light in the room adding to the intensity the sensor is detecting.
To account for this, take a background measurement with the sensor in position and
the polarizers adjusted for minimum transmission. You will subtract this from all
future intensity measurements

Ibackground = 0.004
Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

8. Record and graph the intensity after the second polarizer for values of θ ranging
from 0° to 180°. (θ = the angle between the polarization direction of the incident
light and the polarization axis of the second polarizer.) Remember to subtract the
background intensity.

NOTE: your first data point is not 0° by default, it is whatever angle you
determined in question 6.
Intensity (V)

θ Intensity 1.0
(deg) (V)
x
0 x x
0.249 0.75 x
15 0.334 x
x
x x
30 0.420 0.5
45 0.552 x
x
x
60 0.681 x x
75 0.25
0.777 x
90 0.822
105 0.784
120 0.684 0 90 180
135 0.560 θ (deg)
150 0.433
165 0.326
180 0.292

Remove the light sensor and replace it with the white screen. Again rotate the last
polarizer until a minimum intensity is transmitted to the screen.

9. Predict what you will see on the screen if another polarizer is inserted between the
first and last polarizer. Also predict what will happen as you rotate the middle
polarizer. Why?
If another polarizer is added, there will be another angle where no light will be transmitted
to the paper. Specifically, there will be 2 more angles where light will not be transmitted
to the paper.
Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

Now insert a polarizer between the first and last polarizer. You may need to
reposition the polarizers and screen to fit the middle polarizer in. Rotate the middle
polarizer.

10. Was your prediction correct? Explain any differences.

When the middle polarizer is rotated, there are more angles where no light is transmitted.
This data agrees with my prediction
11. Which orientations of the middle polarizer (relative to the first and last polarizers)
block out the most light? Which orientation allows through the most light?
When the middle polarizer is at the vertical and horizontal axis, the most light is
blocked out, (0, 90, 180, 270 degrees). The rotations where the most light
shines through is at 45, 135, 225, and 315 degrees.

Activity 3: Polarization by Reflection

We saw how unpolarized light could be polarized by passing it through a linear

polarizer. It can also be (partially or totally) polarized by reflection. Sometimes reflected
light is unwanted (e.g. glare off a lake, snow, another car’s windshield, etc). Since the
reflected light is partially polarized we can block some of it using polarizers. This is the
idea behind polarized sunglasses.

Angle the desk lamp toward the tabletop. Look at the bright reflection of light
through one of the rotating polarizers. Rotate the polarizer.

12. Explain how you can tell the reflected light is polarized?
The reflected light is polarized since there are changes in light intensity at certain angles
like 90 degrees

13. The black line on the polarizer shows the polarization axis. What is the polarization
direction of the glare you are able to block?

vertical: no light passes

90 degrees
 Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

Part II: Reflection and Refraction

WARNING: You will use a low power diode laser in this part of the lab to
provide “rays” or “beams” of light. Do not look directly into the laser beam
or at a direct reflection of the laser beam. Instead locate the beam by seeing
where it hits a screen or piece of paper.

Introduction

When a ray of light is incident on a boundary or interface between two different

media with different indexes of refraction, (e.g. air and glass, air and water, oil and water)
three things may happen. It could be reflected, refracted (i.e. transmitted but perhaps in a
different direction) and/or absorbed. In this lab we will study reflection and refraction.

Though we often concentrate on one or the other, you can have both reflection
AND refraction at the same time. Mirrors are designed to mainly reflect light, but you
have probably heard of one-way mirrors. Windows are designed to mainly transmit light,
but no doubt you have noticed reflections of yourself in glass windows.

You will investigate in what directions and in what circumstances light reflects
and refracts at certain interfaces.

NOTE: Convention is to measure all angles relative to the NORMAL to the surface.

Activity 1: Reflection

Hold the mirror upright. Turn on a single beam on the laser and shine it at the
mirror at various angles. You can hold up a piece of paper to find the reflected beam or
use the protractor provided. Holding the protractor just under the beam and gently tilting
it traces the beam on it.

1. Show on the diagrams the reflected ray. Indicate the incident angle, θin, and the
reflected angle, θreflected. How do θin and θreflected compare?

Incident and
reflected
angle: 0
degrees
Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

Activity 2: Reflection & Refraction

We begin by looking at light in one medium hitting an interface with another,

(e.g. Either air to water OR water to air). Of course in many cases you have several
interfaces (e.g. in eyeglasses, light goes from air to glass AND then from glass to air).
We will study lenses in more detail later in the course, but fundamentally, it is just a
result of what we will see today.

We will consider air to be approximately a vacuum (nair = 1) and the water to have
index of refraction greater than 1 (nw = 1.33). Don’t worry about the numbers, for
qualitative purposes, all you need to know is nw > nair. Snell’s Law relates the angle of
the incident ray, θin, with the angle of the refracted ray, θout, for two different media. It
states nin sin θin = nout sin θout.

Fill the semi-circular dish with the bright yellow liquid. (Although non-toxic, the
yellow will stain things, so take care not to spill, and wipe it up if you do.) This will
allow you to see the laser beam in the water. To see the laser beam in the air, hold up a
piece of paper to locate the spot. Turn on a single beam on the laser and shine it at the
dish at various angles.

NOTE: Though only asked to draw 3 orientations, it is important to notice what happens
to the refracted and reflected beams AS YOU ROTATE THE BEAM THROUGH THE
ANGLES.

2. AIR to PLASTIC: Show on the diagrams the refracted and reflected rays. Indicate
the incident angle, θin, the refracted angle, θout, and the reflected angle, θreflected.

a. How do θin and θreflected compare? Is this consistent with what you found
above for the mirror?
degree in = degree reflected, this is consistent with what we found for the mirror
above

b. How do θin and θout compare? Find the index of refraction for plastic
using Snell's law.
N = C/V = 2.997
N(air)sin(in) = N(plastic)sin(out) N(air)sin(in) = N(plastic)sin(out) Average
1 sin(35)/sin(23) = N(plastic) 1 sin(75)/sin(38) = N(plastic N(plastic) =
N(plastic) = 1.468 N(plastic = 1.568 1.52
Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

3. PLASTIC to AIR: Show on the diagrams the refracted and reflected rays. Indicate the
incident angle, θin, the refracted angle, θout, and the reflected angle, θreflected.

NOTE: We are interested in the beam in the plastic emerging into the air, but we
obviously must start with the beam in the air. Always make sure the original
beam in the air is normal to the dish. Then from the previous part, you should know
that the beam goes straight through.

a. How do θin and θreflected compare? Is this consistent with what you found
above for the mirror?
degree(in) = degree(reflected), this is consistent with
what was found in the mirror above

b. How do θin and θout compare? Find the index of refraction for plastic
using Snell's law.
Degree(in) is less than degree(out) when degree(in)
is less than degree(cr)
Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

4. AIR to PLASTIC AND PLASTIC to AIR: Now you will look at the light as it
passes entirely through the dish.

a. Using Snell’s law at each interface, qualitatively predict the path of the
REFRACTED beams. Don’t worry about the reflected beams in this part.
Prediction
Top: refract down
Middle: no refraction
Bottom: refract up

b. Now turn on all three laser beams and try it. Was your prediction correct ?
Show the results above in another color if different.
prediction was correct, they moved in the directions that I predicted

5. AIR to PLASTIC AND PLASTIC to AIR: Now you will look at the light as it
passes entirely through the dish in the other direction.

a. Using Snell’s law at each interface, qualitatively predict the path of the
REFRACTED beams. Don’t worry about the reflected beams in this part.
prediction
Top: refract down
Middle: no refraction
Bottom: refract up

b. Now turn on all three laser beams and try it. Was your prediction correct?
Show the results above in another color if different.
My prediction was correct, they moved the same way.
6. Is this shape a converging or diverging lens? Does it depend on the directions the
light goes through it?
This shape is converging both ways since the beams of light all 'converge' at one point when
shown through the same direction.
Physics 8B Lab 3 – Properties of Light rev 4.0

Activity 3: Total Internal Reflection

Based on your results to Questions 2 & 3 above

7. For which interface, AIR to PLASTIC(lowindex to high)or PLASTIC to AIR (high
index to low), is there an orientation where there is no refracted ray and only a
reflected ray?
plastic to air ?(high to low index)

8. What was the angle of the REFRACTED RAY, θout, just before it vanishes?
degree(out) = 45 degrees

9. Based on Snell’s law, what is the critical incident angle, θcr, where the refracted ray
just vanishes? Do you get total internal reflection for θin greater than or less thanθcr?
degree(cr) = 45 degrees
N(plastic)sin(cr) = N(air)sin(out)
Total internal reflection occurs when degree(in) is greater or equal to degree(cr)

10. Total internal reflection can be used to make fiber optic cables. If there is no
refraction, then all the energy of the light is reflected. This can be exploited to send
signals long distances with very little loss (e.g. less loss than electrical signals in
copper wires). Sketch how a signal could travel through a cable via total internal
reflection.

11. ** Please do NOT bend the fiber optic cable. Thick cable
like this is meant for gradual curves, not sharp angles **
Try out the fiber optic cable. Place one end of the under the desk lamp. Look in the
other end. Try shining the other end on a piece of paper. Try holding one end up to
something colored and look in the other end.