Optics Answers

Light requires about 8 minutes to travel from the sun to the earth. Is it delayed appreciably by the earth’s atmosphere? Explain

The laws of optics also apply to electromagnetic waves invisible to the eye. A satellite TV

dish is used to detect radio waves coming from orbiting satellites. Why is a curved reflecting

surface (a “dish”) used? The dish is always concave, never convex; why? The actual radio receiver

is placed on an arm and suspended in front of the dish. How far in front of the dish should it be

placed?

A polarizer and analyzer are oriented so that the amount of transmitted light is maximum. 

Through what angle should either be turned so that the intensity of transmitted light is 

reduced to (a) 0.75 and (b) 0.25 times the maximum intensity?

Two polarizing plates have polarizing directions parallel so as to transmit maximum intensity of light. Through what angle must either plates be turned if the intensity of the transmitted beam is one third the intensity of incident beam.

Polarizer and analyzer are set with their polarizing directions parallel so that the intensity of transmitted light is maximum. Through what angle should either be turned so that intensity be reduced to (a) 0.5 and 25% of maximum intensity?

A polarizer and analyzer are oriented so that the amount of transmitted light is maximum. Through what angle should either be turned so that the intensity of transmitted light is reduced to (a) 0.75 and (b) 0.25 times the maximum intensity?

(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?

If the magnetic field of a light wave oscillates parallel to a y axis and is given by By = Bm sin(k z − ωt), (a) in what direction does the wave travel and (b) parallel to which axis does

the associated electric field oscillate?

Draw the reflection rays for the incident rays shown below.include the normal at each point where the incident rays strikes the surface of the mirrors

Light scattered from blue sky is strongly polarized because of the nature of the scattering

process described in Section 33.6. But light scattered from white clouds is usually not polarized.

Why not?