Final answer:
When passing through two polarizing filters at an angle of 45.0°, the second filter reduces the intensity of light to 50.0% of its original intensity after the first filter.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question at hand deals with the effects of polarization on the intensity of light as it passes through polarizing filters. When unpolarized light passes through a polarizing filter, it becomes polarized, with the oscillations occurring only in a single plane. According to Malus's Law, when polarized light then passes through a second polarizing filter with an axis at an angle θ to the initial polarization direction, the intensity I of the light after passing through the second filter is I = I0cos2(θ), where I0 is the initial intensity of the polarized light after the first filter.
Given the angle between the axes of two polarizing filters is 45.0°, to find the reduction, we use θ = 45°. The intensity reduction is then given by I = I0cos2(45°) = I0(1/√2)2 = I0/2, which means the intensity is halved or reduced by 50.0%.