An ideal polarizer is placed in a beam of unpolarized light and the intensity of the transmitted light is 1. A second ideal polarizer is placed in the beam with its preferred direction rotated 40° to that of the first polarizer. What is the intensity of the beam after it has passed through both polarizers?
A)0.77
B)0.64
C)0.59
D)0.41
E)0.30

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The intensity of light after passing through two polarizers is given by Malus's Law: I = I0 * cos²(θ), where I0 is the initial intensity and θ is the angle between the polarizers. Here, I0 = 1 and θ = 40°, so I = 1 * cos²(40°) ≈ 0.59.

An Ideal Polarizer Is Placed in a Beam of Unpolarized