Unpolarized light is passed through polarizer 1. The light then goes though polarizer 2 with its plane of polarization at 60.0° to that of polarizer 1. What fraction of the intensity of the original light gets though the second polarizer?
A) 0.125
B) 0.250
C) 0.707
D) 0.500

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The intensity of the light after passing through the first polarizer is I/2. The intensity of the light after passing through the second polarizer is I/2 * cos^2(60°) = I/4. The fraction of the intensity of the original light that gets through the second polarizer is I/4 / I = 1/4 = 0.25.

Unpolarized Light Is Passed Through Polarizer 1