Sunglasses, LCD screens, and camera filters all exploit polarization. See how each polarizer passes only the aligned component — and the famous three-filter trick.
Polarization (Malus's Law)Live
filtering light waves
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A polarizer only passes the light-wave component aligned with its axis. Malus's law says the transmitted intensity is I₀·cos²θ, where θ is the angle between successive filters. Two crossed polarizers block everything — but slip a third at 45° between them and light reappears, a striking quantum-like result of projection.
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How it works
Light is a transverse wave, and a polarizer transmits only the component along its axis. Malus's law gives the transmitted intensity as I₀·cos²θ between successive filters. Two crossed polarizers block all light — yet inserting a third at 45° between them lets light through again, a striking demonstration of how measurement projects a wave onto a new axis.
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