Grade 11 · Science · Physics

11th grade Polarization of light worksheet

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Polarization of light

Grade 11 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

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Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

Polarized light of 100 W/m² meets a filter, and 75 W/m² passes. At what angle is the filter turned, to 0.01°, Ari?
Polarized light of 100 W/m² meets a filter, and 10 W/m² passes. At what angle is the filter turned, to 0.01°, Bo?
3.
Unpolarized light passes filters at 0°, 45° and 90° in turn. What fraction of the light gets through, Jun?
- No light gets through
- One-eighth
- One-half
4.
Unpolarized light of 160 W/m² passes filters at 0°, 30° and 90°. What intensity leaves the last one, Kira?
- 0 W/m²
- 15 W/m²
- 60 W/m²
5.
In a row of filters, which angle goes into each Malus's law step, Luz?
- The angle from the very first filter
- The angle between neighbors
- 45° each time
6.
Milo says a polarizing filter could cut the noise from a loudspeaker. Agree or disagree?
- Agree: sound vibrates side to side
- Disagree: sound can't be polarized
- Agree: filters can block any kind of wave
7.
Noah says longitudinal waves can be polarized like light. Agree or disagree?
- Agree: longitudinal waves are transverse
- Agree: any wave can be polarized
- Disagree: they vibrate along their path
8.
Pia says polarized light through a filter at 45° loses about 29% of its intensity. Agree or disagree?
- Disagree: it loses half
- Agree: cos 45° ≈ 0.71
- Agree: it loses 45%
9.
At which angles is the light brightest as the filter turns, Tala?
- 0° and 180°
- 45° and 135°
- 90° and 270°
10.
Unpolarized light passes a single filter that is slowly turned. What happens to the light, Zee?
- It stays at half brightness
- It goes dark twice a turn
- It goes dark once a turn

11th grade Polarization of light worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Polarization of light. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can use Malus's law, I = I₀ cos² θ, for polarized light through a filter.
I can find the light through two filters from unpolarized light: half after the first, then cos² θ.
I can work backwards to the angle, θ = cos⁻¹ √(I ÷ I₀), and handle three filters step by step.
I can explain why only transverse waves (light, not sound) can be polarized, and how sunglasses, 3-D glasses and LCD screens use it.

Standard: none (TX)

Words to know

polarized: Light vibrating in one direction only

unpolarized: Light vibrating in many directions, like sunlight or a bulb's

filter (polarizer): A sheet that passes only light vibrating along its slots

crossed: Two filters with slots at 90° to each other

transverse: A wave vibrating across its direction of travel

Common mistakes

Your child used cos θ, not cos² θ. Malus's law squares the cosine: I = I₀ cos² θ.

Your child skipped the first halving. A filter passes half of unpolarized light before Malus's law applies.

Your child left out the square root. From I = I₀ cos² θ, cos θ = √(I ÷ I₀).

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with polarization of light?

Your child used cos θ, not cos² θ. Malus's law squares the cosine: I = I₀ cos² θ.

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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