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Chapter 30: Problem 9

Why are polarizing sunglasses better than glasses that simply reduce the total amount of light?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Polarizing sunglasses are better because they mainly reduce glare (which is often horizontally polarized light) rather than all light, thereby offering better vision without significantly reducing visibility like normal sunglasses that block all light.

Step by step solution

01

Principles of Light

Light waves can vibrate in different directions. When light strikes a surface, it can reflect either as horizontally polarized light or vertically polarized light. Most glare that causes one to squint or partially close the eyes comes from horizontal light.
02

How Polarizing Sunglasses Work

Polarizing sunglasses have been treated with a special film that absorbs horizontally polarized light. This means that, rather than merely reducing the total amount of light, they mostly reduce the glare of horizontal light.
03

Why Polarizing Sunglasses are Superior

By focusing on glare reduction, not total light reduction, polarizing sunglasses can reduce strain and improve visibility without making the environment look too dark. In contrast, sunglasses that merely reduce total light make everything darker, without necessarily reducing glare, causing pupils to dilate more to allow more light in which could let even more harmful UV rays into the eyes.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Under what conditions will the polarizing angle be smaller than \(45^{\circ} ?\)

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