This research investigated the scattering of linearly polarized light due to colloidal particles suspended in water. The colloidal solution was milk, and the light detector was a video camera. The layout of the components used in the experiment was as follows: The milk solution was contained in a glass beaker that was covered, except for the mouth of the beaker, by a piece of black, hard paper with a small window in it. The linearly polarized light was directed toward the mouth of the beaker, and the scattered light was detected in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the incident light. The results agreed satisfactorily with the Rayleigh scattering formula, which predicted the maximum and the minimum scattering directions. Based on our results, we suggest that this experiment may be used in high-school physics laboratories or in college introductory physics laboratories to con rm that light is a transverse wave.

Keywords: Linearly polarized light, Scattering, Intensity of scattered light, Experiment in high school