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 Several updated simulations are available for illustrating the behaviour of polarized light.

 

  • This one, by Tom Walsh, models a wave being polarized by passing through a vertical slit. It then passes through one, two, or three additional slits, as selected by the user, and each slit can be rotated independently.

https://www.ophysics.com/l3.html

 

  • This one, by Andrew Duffy, has a similar setup but skips the animated “wave.” Instead, it displays an intensity graph. It begins with unpolarized light, then passes it through three independently rotatable polarizing filters; the graph displays the intensity after each filter.

http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/HTML5/polarized_light.html

 

Additionally, check out these animations in Christian & Belloni’s Physlet Physics. 

  • In this initial animated illustration, you can display either a linearly or circularly polarized wave, then add a polarizing filter.

https://www.compadre.org/Physlets/optics/illustration39_2.cfm

  • A variation is also available presented as a student activity, with discussion questions and a worksheet.

https://www.compadre.org/Physlets/optics/ex39_2.cfm

Check out the rest of their polarization menu for further student problems.