Question

A pair of sunglasses is held in front of a flat-panel computer monitor (which is on) so that the lenses are always parallel to the display. As the lenses are rotated, it is noticed that the intensity of light coming from the display and passing through the lenses is varying. Why?

Name: Problem 20, Chapter 31: University Physics with Modern Physics
Uploaded: 2022-01-11T03:21:59-08:00
Duration: 1 min 56 s
Channel: Michael Sorola
Description: A pair of sunglasses is held in front of a flat-panel computer monitor (which is on) so that the lenses are always parallel to the display. As the lenses are rotated, it is noticed that the intensity of light coming from the display and passing through the lenses is varying. Why?

   A pair of sunglasses is held in front of a flat-panel computer monitor (which is on) so that the lenses are always parallel to the display. As the lenses are rotated, it is noticed that the intensity of light coming from the display and passing through the lenses is varying. Why?

University Physics with Modern Physics

Wolfgang Bauer, Gary… 2nd Edition

Chapter 31, Problem 20

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Michael Sorola

01/11/2022

Step 1

This can be represented as: \[ \text{Light from Monitor} = \text{Polarized Light} (45^\circ) \] Show more…

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A pair of sunglasses is held in front of a flat-panel computer monitor (which is on) so that the lenses are always parallel to the display. As the lenses are rotated, it is noticed that the intensity of light coming from the display and passing through the lenses is varying. Why?

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Key Concepts

Malus's Law

Malus's Law quantifies the reduction in intensity of polarized light as it passes through a polarizing filter. According to this law, the transmitted intensity is proportional to the cosine squared of the angle between the light's polarization direction and the filter's axis, which explains why the observed brightness varies with rotation.

Polarizing Filters

Polarizing filters are devices that only allow light waves with a certain polarization orientation to pass through. They are used in various applications, such as reducing glare, enhancing image quality in photography, and controlling light in display technologies, by filtering out unwanted orientations of light waves.

Polarization of Light

Polarization describes the orientation of the oscillations of the electric (and magnetic) fields in a light wave. In many optical systems, the control of polarization is crucial as it affects how light interacts with materials, surfaces, and other optical devices.

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