Question

Suppose you put on two pairs of polarizing sunglasses with their axes at an angle of 15.0°. How much longer will it take the light to deposit a given amount of energy in your eye compared with a single pair of sunglasses? Assume the lenses are clear except for their polarizing characteristics.

a. Light will take twice as long to deposit energy
b. Light will take the same amount of time to deposit energy
c. Light will take less time to deposit energy
d. Cannot be determined without specific energy calculations

Answer 1

The light will take less time to deposit energy

Step-by-step explanation:

When light passes through a single pair of polarizing sunglasses, it gets reduced to half intensity. When a second pair of polarizing sunglasses is added with its axis at an angle of 15.0° to the first pair, the amount of light that gets transmitted through both pairs decreases further since the axes of the two pairs are not aligned.

In this case, the light will take less time to deposit a given amount of energy in your eye compared to a single pair of sunglasses. This is because the total amount of light that gets transmitted through both pairs is reduced compared to a single pair of sunglasses.