Question

three polarizing sheets are stacked on top of each other. their polarization directions (relative to an arbitrary reference line) are 0, 45, and 90 degrees. (a) consider the fraction of initially unpolarized incident light that would be transmitted through the stack. does the order in which they are stacked affect your answer? explain briefly. (b) now suppose the first and third sheets are fixed in place, with polarization directions of 0 and 90 degrees respectively; the middle sheet can be rotated. how does the intensity of transmitted light vary qualitatively as you rotate the middle sheet from 0 to 90 degrees? g

Answer 1

The order in which polarizing sheets are stacked affects the transmission of initially unpolarized light. The intensity of transmitted light qualitatively varies as the middle sheet is rotated from 0 to 90 degrees.

Step-by-step explanation:

The order in which the three polarizing sheets are stacked does affect the fraction of initially unpolarized incident light that would be transmitted through the stack. When the transmission axes of the sheets are aligned, the transmitted light intensity is maximized. However, when the transmission axes are perpendicular to each other, no light is transmitted. In this specific case, where the polarization directions of the sheets are 0, 45, and 90 degrees, the order in which they are stacked does not affect the answer, as the transmitted light intensity will be the same regardless of the order.

When considering the intensity of transmitted light as the middle sheet is rotated from 0 to 90 degrees, the intensity will vary qualitatively. At 0 degrees, when the transmission axes of the second and third sheet are aligned, the maximum intensity of transmitted light is obtained. As the middle sheet is rotated towards 90 degrees, the intensity of transmitted light decreases gradually until no light is transmitted when the transmission axes of the second and third sheet are perpendicular to each other.