·         Overhead Projector

·         2 polarizing materials such as lenses from polarized glasses

·         Karo Syrup

·         Clear plastic or glass 100 ml graduated cylinder

Procedure:

·         Fill the cylinder with several inches of Karo Syrup.

·          Put the polarizing material under the glass and hold the other one over the top of it. 

·         Turn on the overhead projector.

Questions:

·         What did you see?

·         Why does this happen?

·         What does the Karo syrup have to do with the polarizing material? 

·         Could we have used another liquid to substitute the Karo syrup?  Why or Why Not?

Explanation:

·         White light is made up of all the colors of the rainbow.  When polarized white light passes through a sugar solution, the color changes because the color direction of polarization changes. Light wiggles up and down and left and right.  The polarizing filter is only letting the light go in one direction.