Light is entering a polarizer or set of polarizers from the left. Determine the

Question

Light is entering a polarizer or set of polarizers from the left. Determine the relative intensity of the light exiting on the right after passing through all of the polarizers. The dashed vertical lines represent the vertical reference. The solid lines represent either the polarization angle of the light or the transmission angle of the polarizer. CW represents clockwise and CCW represents counterclockwise as viewed from the right looking back to the left along the path of the light. Linearly polarized light with the plane of polarization vertical enters from the left and passes through a single polarizer with the transmission axis oriented horizontally (90° relative to the vertical).

Full Intensity Partial Intensity Zero Intensity  Unpolarized light enters from the left and passes through one polarizer with the transmission axis oriented 45° CCW relative to the vertical and then through a second polarizer with the transmission axis oriented 45° CCW relative to the vertical.

Full Intensity Partial Intensity Zero Intensity  Unpolarized light enters from the left and passes through a single polarizer with the transmission axis oriented horizontally (90° relative to the vertical).

Full Intensity Partial Intensity Zero Intensity  Unpolarized light enters from the left and passes through a single polarizer with the transmission axis oriented vertically (0° relative to the vertical).

Full Intensity Partial Intensity Zero Intensity  Linearly polarized light polarized at an angle 45° CW from the vertical enters from the left and passes through a single polarizer with the transmission axis oriented 45° CW relative to the vertical.

Explanation / Answer

a) Linearly polarized light with the plane of polarization vertical enters from the left and passes through a single polarizer with the transmission axis oriented horizontally (90° relative to the vertical).

Since cos2 90o = 0

The output is zero intensity

b) Unpolarized light enters from the left and passes through one polarizer with the transmission axis oriented 45° CCW relative to the vertical and then through a second polarizer with the transmission axis oriented 45° CCW relative to the vertical.

When unpolarized light passes through a polarizer, the intensity is halved.

The output intensity is half of the incident intensity. So the answer is partial intensity

c)  Unpolarized light enters from the left and passes through a single polarizer with the transmission axis oriented horizontally (90° relative to the vertical).

The output intensity is half of the incident intensity. So the answer is partial intensity

d) Unpolarized light enters from the left and passes through a single polarizer with the transmission axis oriented vertically (0° relative to the vertical).

The output intensity is half of the incident intensity. So the answer is partial intensity

e) Linearly polarized light polarized at an angle 45° CW from the vertical enters from the left and passes through a single polarizer with the transmission axis oriented 45° CW relative to the vertical.

Since the angle of polarisation of light and polarizer are the same,

The output is full intensity

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