What happens to the light intensity when it passes through a polarizer at an angle of 60 degrees?

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Q: What happens to the light intensity when it passes through a polarizer at an angle of 60 degrees?

Solution: The transmitted intensity is given by I = I_0 * cos²(θ), which results in one quarter of the original intensity at 60 degrees.

Steps: 9

Step 1: Understand that light intensity is how bright the light is.
Step 2: Know that a polarizer is a special filter that only allows light waves in a certain direction to pass through.
Step 3: The angle at which the light hits the polarizer matters. In this case, the angle is 60 degrees.
Step 4: Use the formula for transmitted intensity: I = I_0 * cos²(θ), where I_0 is the original intensity and θ is the angle.
Step 5: Plug in the values: I_0 is the original intensity and θ is 60 degrees.
Step 6: Calculate cos(60 degrees), which is 0.5.
Step 7: Square the result: (0.5)² = 0.25.
Step 8: Multiply the original intensity (I_0) by 0.25 to find the transmitted intensity: I = I_0 * 0.25.
Step 9: This means the transmitted intensity is one quarter of the original intensity when the light passes through the polarizer at 60 degrees.