• Space/Science
  • GeekSpeak
  • Mysteries of
    the Multiverse
  • Science Fiction
  • The Comestible Zone
  • Off-Topic
  • Community
  • Flame
  • CurrentEvents

Recent posts

A Taste of Armageddon RobVG July 2, 2025 8:00 am (CurrentEvents)

We've got company ER July 2, 2025 7:50 am (Space/Science)

All Along the Watchtower ER July 1, 2025 9:13 pm (CurrentEvents)

Birthright Citizenship RobVG June 29, 2025 3:34 pm (CurrentEvents)

To be blunt, NASA is now dead RL June 27, 2025 11:56 am (Space/Science)

Musk trashes his own AI after it chose a liberal worldview. RobVG June 23, 2025 9:56 am (CurrentEvents)

Psyche keeps its date with an asteroid BuckGalaxy June 22, 2025 5:21 pm (Space/Science)

Just for the record... ER June 22, 2025 8:59 am (CurrentEvents)

The Three Unknowns After the U.S. Strike on Iran BuckGalaxy June 22, 2025 12:58 am (CurrentEvents)

There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy. BuckGalaxy June 22, 2025 12:29 am (Flame)

Not ready for prime time BuckGalaxy June 19, 2025 12:18 pm (Space/Science)

hypocrisy ER June 15, 2025 2:30 pm (Flame)

Home » Space/Science

The polarization puzzle August 26, 2023 6:24 pm ER

Get two old (or cheap) pairs of polaroid sun glasses and separate all four lenses from the frames.

Call them A, B, C and D. The order doesn’t matter.

Throw away D. You won’t need it in this experiment.

Line up A and B so you can see a light source (an open window will do fine) through both of them.

Rotate either A or B until the light source can no longer be seen. It is “cancelled out”.

Place C between A and B and the light source once again becomes visible.

Why is that? Adding that extra lens should remove transmitted light, not add some more.

  • Welcome to the world of mineral optics by podrock 2023-08-27 08:52:26
    • It was an early researcher of mineral optics that discovered Haidinger's brush.... by RL 2023-08-30 21:00:45
    • If they are PERFECT polarizers by RL 2023-08-26 19:21:21

      Search

      The Control Panel

      • Log in
      • Register