Experiments show that the ground spider Drassodes cupreus uses one of its severa

Question

Experiments show that the ground spider Drassodes cupreus 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 894 W/m2 shines from the sky onto the spider, and that the intensity transmitted by one of the polarizing eyes is 255 W/m2. For this eye, what is the angle between the polarization direction of the eye and the polarization direction of the incident light? What is the intensity transmitted by the other polarizing eye?

Explanation / Answer

a)

Polarization:

I1 = I0 cos2(1)

>>> cos2(1) = I1/I0 = 212/800 = 0.265

>>> 1 = 59.02 °

b)

I2 = I0 cos2(2)

polarization directions are at right angles >>> 1 + 2 = 90 >>> 2 = 30.983

I2 = I0 cos2(2) = 800 * cos2(30.983) = 588 W/m2

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