A beam of light is polarized in a vertical plane and has an intensity I0. The beam passes through an ideal polarizer and then through an ideal analyzer whose axis is set horizontally. If the axis of
The polarizer is set at 60° with the vertical, what is the ratio of the intensity of the final beam to I0?
A) 0.19
B) 0.43
C) 0.37
D) 0.25
E) 0.31

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The intensity of the beam after passing through the polarizer is I0/2. The intensity of the beam after passing through the analyzer is I0/4. The ratio of the intensity of the final beam to I0 is I0/4 / I0 = 1/4 = 0.25.

A Beam of Light Is Polarized in a Vertical Plane