Analysis

In the first part of the experiment, comparing the distances where the intensity of light

would match a light source of a side with constant distance to the side of a filter. The results show

that in order to visually match the intensity of light of a filtered light source to the unfiltered, the

filtered source should be closer to the observer. In the second part of the experiment, comparing

the intensities of light to match a light source of a side with varying light filter to the side where

angles of polar lenses are varied. The results show that to match the intensity of both sides, as the

light transmittance is decreased, the angle of the polar lenses should be decreased.

Since the results show, assuming that both light sources are equal, that a point source

distributes light uniformly and intensity is dependent on the proximity of the source to the observer,

then it agrees with the Inverse Square Law. The intensity of light increases when the distance of

the source is closer. The results also show that intensity of light can also be reduced when the angle

of both polarized lenses are turned closer to a perpendicular angle. This shows that the results of

part two agrees with the polarization theory.

 Conclusion

The distribution of energy of a point source is uniform throughout all directions, and the

intensity is also consistent in terms of radius of the enclosed sphere, where the smaller the radius,

the more intense the intensity. This is also true in photometry where the source is a light source.

This is called the inverse square law. Polarization is also a study of the visual spectrum where the

distribution of light restricted to just one direction, therefore controlling the intensity. Two

polarized lenses next to each other can manipulate the light that passes through by increasing the

angle until both of them are perpendicular to each other. These principles are proven in the

experiment when it is proven that the closer the light source is, the more intense the light. And in

the second experiment, the light is more intense when the angle of the polarized lenses is closer to

0 degrees with each other.

In this experiment, it is recommended that a single person should be the one to observe and

compare the intensities of both the sides of the photometer. This is because the results are more or

less according to the perspective of a person, to be consistent, the opinion should only come from

a single person. It is also recommended that the experiment should have a more qualitative device

that can measure accurately the intensities of the light. The results would have more accuracy if

they data has quantity.

 Error Analysis

In this experiment, the errors of each part of the experiment are more than 10%. This is

because the procedure that is used to determine the intensity of light is more of qualitative. It is

prone to inaccuracy because comparing the illumination of light intensities using just the human

eye is very subjective to a person. One factor that can contribute is that the light sources might not

be equal, this, again, posts problems when there is no quantitative measuring tool that compares

the data. It is recommended that there should be a device to accurately measure the intensity of

light from a source.

 Application

Polarization can have useful uses in the Mechanical Engineering Industry. Testing the

structure of products is important in determining its efficiency in the workplace and in the

community. The method of testing materials some materials become birefringence and distress by

building a transparent plastic model of a structure and then putting it under strain. The patterns can

show areas of most stress that are most at risk of failing. The way they get the image of the stress

patterns is to have two crossed polarizers with the sample in between them. The first polarizer

makes the linearly polarized light that is going to hit the plastic sample, so the sample is a

transparent plastic that becomes birefringence under stress and the change of refractive index

depends on the wavelength of the light passing through. So the light passes through the sample is

separated into different wavelengths and then passes through a second polarizer at right angles so

then all you see are the patterns of the lines of the stresses.

As a future mechanical engineer, discovering structures for a more efficient use of the

product is a big help in lessening trash in the environment. Designing products that are innovative

in terms of lesser use of material makes products more cheap and reliable in the future. Mechanical

engineers are key in developing materials that can replace existing materials that are very

expensive and inefficient. By this technique in testing structures, it will be very cheap by just using

a 3d printer and some polarized lenses at home. Knowing these principles helps me in my journey

in the material science.