Home
Class 12
PHYSICS
Two polaroids are placed at 90^(@) to ea...

Two polaroids are placed at `90^(@)` to eachother. What happens when `(N - 1)` more polaroids are inserted between them ? Their axes are equally spaced. How does the transmitted intensity behave for large `N` ?

Text Solution

Verified by Experts

When `(N - 1)` polaroids are inserted between two polaroids total number of polaroids `=(N + 1)`. The axes of all polaroids are equally spaced. If `theta` is the angle between the axes of any two consective polaroids, then
`theta + theta + theta + .......N times = 90^(@) = pi//2`
`N theta = pi//2`
`theta = pi//2 N`.
According to Law of Malus, intensity of light passing through a given pair of polaroids is proportinal to `cos^(2) theta`.In the given case, this change is repeated `N` times.
If `I_(0)` is intensity of incident light and `I` is intensity of light coming out of last polaroid, then
`I = I_(0) (cos^(2) theta)^(N) = I_(0) (cos theta)^(2N)`
`= I_(0) "cos"((pi)/(2 N))^(2 N)`
When `N` is very large, `theta = (pi)/(2N)` approaches zero and `cos (pi//2 N)` approaches `1`.
Hence when `N` is very large, I will approach `I_(0)`.
Promotional Banner

Topper's Solved these Questions

  • OPTICS

    PRADEEP|Exercise Very short answer question|5 Videos
  • OPTICS

    PRADEEP|Exercise very short answer questions|1 Videos
  • MAGNETIC EFFECT OF CURRENT AND MAGNETISM

    PRADEEP|Exercise Competition Focus (Multiple Choice Questions)|2 Videos

Similar Questions

Explore conceptually related problems

Two polaroids are placed at 90^(@) to eachother and the transmitted intensity is zero. What happens when one more polaroid is placed between these two, bisecuting the angle between them. How will the intensity of transmitted light vary on further rotating the third polaroid ?

Two polaroids are placed at 90^(@) to each other and the transmitted intensity is zero. What happens when one more polarid is placed between these two bisecting two bisecting the angle between them?

What is is plane polarised light ? Two polaroids are placed at 90^(@) to each other and the transmitted intensity is zero. What happens when one more polaroid is placed between these two, bisecting the angle betweeen them ? How will the intensity of transmitted light vary on further rotating the third polaroid ? (b) If a light beam shows no intensity variation when trasmitted through a polaroid which is rotated, does it mean that the light is un-polarised ? Explain briefly.

Two poalroids are placed at 90^(@) to eachother and the transmitted intensity is zero. What happens when one more polaroid is placed between these two bisecting the angle between them ? What will be the diraction of polarization of outcoming beam ?

When a polaroid sheet is rotated between two crossed polaroids, the intensity of the transmitted will be maximum, when angle theta between pass axes is

The axes of a polarizer and an analyzer are oriented at right angles to each other. A third Polaroid sheet is placed between them with its axis at 45^(@) to the axes of the polarizer and analyzer. (a) If unpolarized light of intensity I_(0) is incident on this system, what is the intensity of the transmitted light? (b) What is the intensity of the transmitted light when the middle Polaroid sheet is removed?