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A particular beam of light, with an intensity of 420 W/m2, is linearly polarized

ID: 2064517 • Letter: A

Question

A particular beam of light, with an intensity of 420 W/m2, is linearly polarized at an angle of +8.00° to the vertical. You have three polarizers, which have their transmission axes aligned as follows:
Polarizer A - the transmission axis is at +12.0° to the vertical;
Polarizer B - the transmission axis is at +78.0° to the vertical;
Polarizer C - the transmission axis is at +33.0° to the vertical.

You will select two of these polarizers, and have the light pass through one and then the other.

If you want to minimize the intensity of the light emerging from the second polarizer, which two polarizers should you select, and in what order should the light pass through them?

Explanation / Answer

so through a polarizer I =I0 cos()2

so we want to be as big as possible

so first use polarizer B which will be a difference of 78-8=70

and then use polarizer A which will have a difference of 78-12=66

so I=420*cos(70)^2 * cos(66) ^2=8.13 W/m^2

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