Answer to Question #293113 in Optics for Chemistry

Question

(a) Figure 33-27 shows light reaching a polarizing sheet whose

polarizing direction is parallel to a y axis. We shall rotate the sheet 40°

clockwise about the light’s indicated line of travel. During this

rotation, does the fraction of the initial light intensity passed by the

sheet increase, decrease, or remain the same if the light is (a) initially

unpolarized, (b) initially polarized parallel to the x axis, and (c)

initially polarized parallel to the y axis?

Answer 1

If the light is...

(a) initially unpolarized, the fraction of the initial light intensity passed by the

sheet decreases.

(b) initially polarized parallel to the x axis, the fraction of the initial light intensity passed by the

sheet increases.

(c) initially polarized parallel to the y axis, the fraction of the initial light intensity passed by the

sheet decreases.