Question

Vertically polarized light with an intensity of 0.55 Part A W/m²

passes through a polarizer whose transmission axis is at an angle of 40°
with the vertical. What is the intensity of the transmitted light?

Answer 1

The transmitted light intensity after passing through a polarizer can be calculated using Malus's law as the initial intensity times the cosine squared of the angle between the light's polarization and the polarizer's transmission axis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks about the intensity of vertically polarized light after it passes through a polarizer at a given angle. This is a classic example of Malus's law, which describes the intensity of polarized light after passing through a polarizing filter whose axis is at a certain angle θ to the initial polarization direction.

According to Malus's law, the transmitted light intensity I is given by I = I0cos2θ, where I0 is the initial intensity and θ is the angle between the light's polarization direction and the polarizer's transmission axis. In this case, the transmitted light intensity can be calculated as:

I = 0.55 W/m2cos2(40°)

By calculating this expression, we can find the intensity of the transmitted light after it has passed through the polarizer.