PHYSICS AND THE VISUAL ARTS
Notes on LAB 7
Activity 1: part 2.(iii).
For each angle of incidence and reflection, notice what happens as your look through the polarizing filter and rotate
it about the line of sight.
Activity 1: part 2.(iv).
You want to make a spot of light on the wall (the reflection of the maglight) for different angles of incidence. For
each incidence angle, rotate the polarizer to see what effect it makes. If you are at the Brewster angle, then you
should find a position of the polarizer for which no light will reflect from the water!
Activity 3: part 2.
Just a reminder: cos2θ = (cos θ)2.
Activity 6
This may be the hardest activity. It is best done with a glass laboratory beaker if you can find one. Disposable
plactic cups display the photoelasticity of Activity 4 in their bases and thus complicate matters if you try to use one of them.
If you can't arrange to set up vertically as in Fig. 1, you can simply put the syrup in a tumbler or jar and project
the light through horizontally. Unfortunately, that will not give you any control over the thickness of path through
the syrup. A tapered glass or tumbler would help to create some thickness variance.
Hint: If you can use a disposable container, I recommend it because washing off the syrup is a pain.
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Last Modified: 10/14/05
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