Linear dichroism
Okay kiddo, you know how when you look through sunglasses, the colors might look a little different? That's because the sunglasses are doing something called "polarization," which makes certain colors harder to see than others.
Well, scientists use polarization too! But instead of sunglasses, they use something called "linear dichroism."
Basically, they shine a special kind of light onto a substance (like a molecule or a cell), and the light gets absorbed differently depending on which way the substance is facing. It's like trying to soak up water with a sponge -- if you hold it flat, it will soak up the water evenly, but if you hold it on an angle, it will soak up more water on one side than the other.
Linear dichroism is really helpful because scientists can use it to figure out what certain substances are made of, and how they're put together. It's kind of like a secret code that they can translate to learn more about the world!
Well, scientists use polarization too! But instead of sunglasses, they use something called "linear dichroism."
Basically, they shine a special kind of light onto a substance (like a molecule or a cell), and the light gets absorbed differently depending on which way the substance is facing. It's like trying to soak up water with a sponge -- if you hold it flat, it will soak up the water evenly, but if you hold it on an angle, it will soak up more water on one side than the other.
Linear dichroism is really helpful because scientists can use it to figure out what certain substances are made of, and how they're put together. It's kind of like a secret code that they can translate to learn more about the world!