Light of intensity I₀ and polarized horizontally passes through three polarizes.The first and third polarizing axes are horizontal,but the second one is oriented 20.0° to the horizontal.In terms of I₀,what is the intensity of the light that passes through the set of polarizers? A) 0.780I₀ B) 0.180I₀ C) 0.442I₀ D) 0.883I₀

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The intensity of the light that passes through the set of polarizers is given by:$$I = I_0 \cos^2 	heta_1 \cos^2 	heta_2 \cos^2 	heta_3$$where $	heta_1$ is the angle between the polarization axis of the first polarizer and the direction of the incident light, $	heta_2$ is the angle between the polarization axis of the second polarizer and the direction of the incident light, and $	heta_3$ is the angle between the polarization axis of the third polarizer and the direction of the incident light.In this case, $	heta_1 = 0^\circ$, $	heta_2 = 20.0^\circ$, and $	heta_3 = 0^\circ$. Therefore, the intensity of the light that passes through the set of polarizers is:$$I = I_0 \cos^2 0^\circ \cos^2 20.0^\circ \cos^2 0^\circ = I_0 	imes 1 	imes 0.940 	imes 1 = 0.940I_0$$Therefore, the correct answer is A.

Light of Intensity I0 and Polarized Horizontally Passes Through Three

Light of Intensity I₀ and Polarized Horizontally Passes Through Three