Question

Unpolarized light passes through two polarizers. Find the fraction of light from the first polarizer that gets through the second when the angle between their transmission axes is 60 degree.

Answer 1

Answer:

0.5

Explanation:

Data provided in the question:

The angle between their transmission axes, θ = 60°

Now,

We have the relation,

I₁ = I₀cos²θ

where,

I₁ is the intensity of the transmitted light

I₀ is the intensity of the incident light

on rearranging, we get

$\frac{I_1}{I_0}$=cos²60°

or

$\frac{I_1}{I_0}$=0.5

Answer 2

Answer:

1/4

Explanation:

Let I₀ be the intensity of polarised light from first polariser . After first polarisation, in the second polarisation, intensity changes as follows

I = I₀  Cos² θ⁰

I = I₀  Cos² 60⁰

=  I₀  1 / 2² = I₀ / 4

So , 1/4 or one fourth of intensity from first polariser gets through the second polariser.