What is the effect of a second polarizer oriented at 90 degrees to the first?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the effect of a second polarizer oriented at 90 degrees to the first?
No light passes through
All light passes through
Half of the light passes through
Light intensity doubles
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the effect of a second polarizer oriented at 90 degrees to the first?
Step 1: Understand that a polarizer is a filter that only allows light waves of a certain orientation to pass through.
Step 2: The first polarizer allows light waves that are aligned with its orientation to pass through.
Step 3: When light passes through the first polarizer, it becomes polarized in the direction of that polarizer.
Step 4: The second polarizer is oriented at 90 degrees to the first, meaning it is perpendicular to the direction of the light that came through the first polarizer.
Step 5: Since the light is polarized in the direction of the first polarizer, and the second polarizer is at 90 degrees, the light cannot pass through the second polarizer.
Step 6: Therefore, no light passes through when the second polarizer is oriented at 90 degrees to the first.
