Polarization: Polarized light passes through a polarizer. If the electric vector of the polarized light is horizontal what, in terms of the initial intensity I₀, is the intensity of the light that passes through a polarizer if the polarizer is tilted 22.5° from the horizontal? A) 0.854I₀ B) 0.147I₀ C) 0.191I₀ D) 0.011I₀

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The intensity of the light that passes through a polarizer is given by Malus's law, which states that the intensity of polarized light after passing through a polarizer is proportional to the square of the cosine of the angle between the light's initial polarization direction and the axis of the polarizer. Therefore, the intensity is $I = I_0 \cos^2(\theta)$, where $I_0$ is the initial intensity and $\theta$ is the angle between the light's polarization direction and the polarizer's axis. For $\theta = 22.5^\circ$, $\cos^2(22.5^\circ) \approx 0.854$, so the intensity is $0.854I_0$.

Polarization: Polarized Light Passes Through a Polarizer