THE APPLICATION OF MATLAB INTERACTIVE SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY IN POLARIZED LIGHT EXPERIMENTS

Polarized-light experiments are an important component of college physics laboratory teaching. However, their core concepts are relatively abstract, and traditional teaching methods often fail to present the underlying physical mechanisms in a dynamic and intuitive manner. In this study, a Matlab-based interactive digital resource was developed for the teaching of polarized-light experiments. The resource consists of three modules: polarization states, Malus' law, and Brewster's law. It dynamically visualizes the evolution of light polarization states, the variation of transmitted light intensity in Malus' law, and the changes in Brewster angle and reflectance in Brewster's law. These visualizations help students intuitively understand polarization states, Malus' law, and Brewster's law. In addition, students can independently adjust relevant parameters to observe physical phenomena and verify theoretical laws, thereby overcoming some limitations of traditional experiments and deepening their understanding of polarized-light principles. The proposed resource can serve as an effective auxiliary teaching tool and help improve students' learning efficiency.