| Normal light is unpolarized because the photons oscillate in random directions. When normal light passes through a polarizing filter, photons that oscillate in certain directions are absorbed, while others that oscillate in line with the filter pass through. A horizontal filter, for example, absorbs photons that oscillate vertically (as shown here). The overall intensity of the light is decreased, and the photons that remain after passing through the polarizing filter all oscillate in roughly the same direction. A second filter turned 90° to the first will absorb all of the polarized photons. If the two filters are instead lined up, all of the light that makes it through the first filter will also pass through the second. |
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