Question

Experiments show that the ground spider uses one of its several pairs of eyes as a polarization detector. In fact, the two eyes in this pair have polarization directions that are at right angles to one another. Suppose linearly polarized light with an intensity of 845 W/m2 shines from the sky onto the spider, and that the intensity transmitted by one of the polarizing eyes is 263 W/m2. For this eye, what is the angle between the polarization direction of the eye and the polarization direction of the incident light

Answer 1

The angle between the polarization direction of the eye and the polarization direction of the incident light = 56.1°

Step-by-step explanation:

For polarization, the relationship between the intensity of transmitted rays (I), intensity of incident rays (I₀) and the angle between the polarization direction of the eye and the polarization direction of the incident light (θ) is given as

I = I₀ cos²θ

I = intensity of transmitted rays = 263 W/m²

I₀ = intensity of incident rays = 845 W/m²

θ = ?

263 = 845 cos²θ

cos²θ = (263/845) = 0.3112

Cos θ = √0.3112 = 0.5579

θ = cos⁻¹ (0.5579)

θ = 56.1°

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