The intensity of the light that reaches the photocell in the figure below is 104.6 W/m2, when θ = 26°. What would be the intensity reaching the photocell if the analyzer were removed from the setup, everything else remaining the same?
To determine the intensity reaching the photocell if the analyzer is removed, we need to consider Malus' Law, which states that the intensity of light that passes through a polarizer is given by:
I = I0 * cos^2(θ)
Where:
- I is the final intensity after passing through the polarizer.
- I0 is the initial intensity incident on the polarizer.
- θ is the angle between the polarization axis of the polarizer and the plane of polarization of the incoming light.
In this case, when the analyzer is in place, the intensity reaching the photocell is 104.6 W/m^2 when θ = 26°.
To find the intensity without the analyzer, we can substitute the values into the equation:
I = 104.6 W/m^2 * cos^2(26°)
Using a calculator, we can evaluate this expression:
I ≈ 104.6 * cos^2(26°)
I ≈ 104.6 * (0.8944)^2
I ≈ 104.6 * 0.8001
I ≈ 83.67 W/m^2
Therefore, the intensity reaching the photocell without the analyzer, everything else remaining the same, would be approximately 83.67 W/m^2.
To find the intensity reaching the photocell if the analyzer is removed, we need to understand how the analyzer affects the intensity.
In the given figure, the analyzer is a device that selectively transmits light waves vibrating in a particular direction. It allows only the light waves with the same polarization direction as the transmission axis to pass through, while blocking or attenuating the light waves with a different polarization direction.
By removing the analyzer, we are essentially eliminating this selective transmission of light waves, which means that all light waves reaching the photocell will now be transmitted without any polarization filtering.
Now, in order to calculate the intensity reaching the photocell without the analyzer, we need to consider the effect of the analyzer on the intensity of light.
The intensity of light passing through the analyzer can be given by the formula:
I = I₀ * cos²(θ)
where I₀ is the initial intensity of light incident on the analyzer and θ is the angle between the transmission axis of the analyzer and the polarization direction of the incident light.
From the given information, the initial intensity of light incident on the photocell is given as 104.6 W/m² when θ = 26°.
So, if we remove the analyzer, all light waves will be transmitted without any polarization filtering. Therefore, the intensity reaching the photocell without the analyzer will be the same as the initial intensity, which is 104.6 W/m².