Four polarizers are placed in succession with their axes vertical, at 30degrees to the vertical, and at 60degrees to the vertical, and at 90degrees to

Anish Buchanan

Anish Buchanan

Answered question

2021-04-10

Four polarizers are placed in succession with their axes vertical, at 30degrees to the vertical, and at 60degrees to the vertical, and at 90degrees to the vertical.
A. calculate what fraction of the incident unpolarizedlight is transmitted by the four polarizers.
B. Can the transmitted light be decreased by removingone of the polarizers? If so, which one?
C. Can the transmitted light intensity be extingusishedby removing one of the polarizers? If so, which one(s)?

Answer & Explanation

Mayme

Mayme

Skilled2021-04-12Added 103 answers

A) The intensity of the light passing through thesuccessive polarizers is
I1=12I0
I2=I1cos2θ2
=12I0cos2θ2
I3=I2cos2θ3
=12I0cos2θ2cos2θ3
I4=I3cos2θ4
=12I0cos2θ2cos2θ3cos2θ4
=12I0cos230cos230cos230
=0.21I0
B) If we remove the second polarizer we get
I1=12I0
I3=I1cos2θ3
=12I0cos2θ3
I4=I3cos2θ4
=12I0cos2θ3cos2θ4
12I0cos260cos230
=0.094I0
Thus we can decrease the intensity byremoving the second or third polarizer.
C) If we remove the second and thirdpolarizers we will have two polarizers with their axesperpendicular to each other and so no light willbe transmitted.

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