In Fig. 33-41, a beam of unpolarized light, with intensity 43 W / m^2, is sent into a system of

step 1 For this problem on the topic of electromagnetic waves, we are shown a beam of unpolarized light

In Fig. 33-41, a beam of unpolarized light, with intensity...

In Fig. $33-41,$ a beam of unpolarized light, with intensity $43 \mathrm{~W} / \mathrm{m}^{2}$, is sent into a system of two polarizing sheets with polarizing dircctions at angles $\theta_{1}=70^{\circ}$ and $\theta_{2}=90^{\circ}$ to the $y$ axis. What is the intensity of the light transmitted by the system?

Key Concepts

Unpolarized Light Intensity Reduction

When unpolarized light passes through a polarizing filter, only the component of the light that aligns with the filter’s axis is transmitted. This process generally reduces the light’s intensity by half, because on average, only half of the light’s electric field components are aligned with the polarizer.

Polarization

Polarization refers to the orientation of the oscillations of the electromagnetic wave’s electric field. Light can be unpolarized, meaning its electric field oscillates in many directions, or polarized, where the oscillation is confined to a specific direction.

Polarizing Filters

Polarizing filters are optical devices that permit light waves with a particular direction of polarization to pass through while blocking waves that are oriented in different directions. They are used to convert unpolarized light into polarized light by selecting a specific polarization axis.

Malus's Law

Malus's Law quantitatively describes the intensity of polarized light after it passes through a second polarizing filter. It states that the transmitted light intensity is proportional to the cosine squared of the angle between the light's polarization direction and the axis of the second polarizer (I = I0 cos²?), which explains how the relative orientation of successive polarizers further reduces the light’s intensity.

Transcript

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