What type of light passes through a polarizing filter?
Polarized light, polarized in the plane of the filter?
Yes, a polarizing filter allows only polarized light to pass through it. Specifically, it only allows light waves that are oscillating in a particular direction (in the same plane as the filter's polarization axis) to pass through, while blocking light waves oscillating in all other directions.
To understand which type of light passes through a polarizing filter, you can perform a simple experiment. Hold a polarizing filter between your fingers and look through it towards a source of light, such as a lamp. As you rotate the filter, you will notice that the intensity of the light passing through changes. At certain angles, the filter will block out most of the light, and at other angles, it will allow more light to pass through.
This experiment demonstrates that light passing through the filter becomes polarized in the direction of the filter's polarization axis. So, only light waves oscillating in the same plane as the filter's polarization axis will be able to pass through the filter. Light waves oscillating in other planes will be blocked or significantly reduced in intensity.
Therefore, the specific type of light that passes through a polarizing filter is polarized light, with its polarization aligned with the plane of the filter.