ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Polaroid (polarizer)

Okay, imagine you have a special kind of glasses that only lets some light through and blocks some other light. This is called a "polarizer." Now, let's say you have a picture of a beautiful sunset, but it's too bright and the colors are not as cool as they should be. This is where a polaroid comes in!

A polaroid is a special kind of film that has tiny molecules lined up in a specific way. When light passes through the polaroid, it can only go through the molecules in one direction. This means that the light gets filtered, or polarized, in a certain way.

So, if you put a polaroid film over your camera lens, it can help to reduce glare, reflections and make colors look more vibrant. For instance, if you're taking a picture of water, the light reflecting off the water can be really harsh and bright. By using a polarizer, you can mitigate that glare, helping the water to look clearer, calmer, and much more beautiful.

Overall, polaroids are handy when you need to capture the best possible image - and also when you want to look really cool, like a detective or spy, wearing your snazzy polarized sunglasses!