Question

Unpolarized light passes through two Polaroid sheets. The transmission axis of the analyzer makes an angle of 45.7° with the axis of the polarizer.

(a) What fraction of the original unpolarized light is transmitted through the analyzer? (Enter your answer to at least three decimal places.)


(b) What fraction of the original light is absorbed by the analyzer?

Answer 1

when the unpolarized light passes through first polaroid sheet, its intensity becomes 1/2 times the original intensity

hence the first polaroid sheet absorbs 50% of the original light's intensity.

then when it passes through the second polarizer at an angle of 45.7 degree,

intensity becomes (cos45.7)² times intensity of light coming from first sheet.

hence total intensity after the light is transmitted through analyzer = 0.5*(cos(45.7))² = 0.2438

a)

hence 24.38% of original light is transmitted through the analyzer.

fraction = 0.2438

b)

fraction of light absorbed by analyzer=1- 0.5 - 0.2438 = 0.2562