Question

Unpolarized light with intensity I₀ is incident on two polaroids. The axis of the first polaroid makes an angle of 50° with the vertical, and the axis of the second polaroid is horizontal. What is the intensity of the light after it has passed through the second polaroid?

Answer 1

According to Malus’ law, when the unpolarized light with intensity I₀ is incident on the first polarizer, the polarizer polarizes this incident light. The intensity of light becomes I₁ = I₀ /2.

Also, the angle θ between the axes of the two polarizers is θ₂ – θ₁.

The intensity of light after it has passed through the second polaroid