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Exam
NEET
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Physics
Chapter
Wave Optics

NEET · Physics · Wave Optics

Unpolarized light of intensity I_0 is incident on a system of three...

Unpolarized light of intensity I0I_0 is incident on a system of three polaroids. The transmission axes of the first and third polaroids are crossed. If the final transmitted intensity of light is I032\dfrac{I_0}{32}, what is the angle between the transmission axes of the first and second polaroids?

Options

  1. A30∘30^{\circ}
  2. B45∘45^{\circ}
  3. C22.5∘22.5^{\circ}
  4. D15∘15^{\circ}

Correct answer

D. 15∘15^{\circ}

Step-by-step solution

Intensity of light after passing through the first polaroid is I1=I02I_1 = \dfrac{I_0}{2}.

Let the angle between the transmission axes of the first and second polaroids be θ\theta. The intensity after the second polaroid is I2=I1cos⁡2θI_2 = I_1 \cos^2\theta.

Since the first and third polaroids are crossed, the angle between the second and third polaroids is (90∘−θ)(90^{\circ} - \theta).

The final intensity after the third polaroid is:
I3=I2cos⁡2(90∘−θ)=I1cos⁡2θsin⁡2θI_3 = I_2 \cos^2(90^{\circ} - \theta) = I_1 \cos^2\theta \sin^2\theta

Using the identity cos⁡θsin⁡θ=sin⁡(2θ)2\cos\theta \sin\theta = \dfrac{\sin(2\theta)}{2}, we get:
I3=I14sin⁡2(2θ)=I08sin⁡2(2θ)I_3 = \dfrac{I_1}{4} \sin^2(2\theta) = \dfrac{I_0}{8} \sin^2(2\theta)

Given that I3=I032I_3 = \dfrac{I_0}{32}, we have:
I08sin⁡2(2θ)=I032\dfrac{I_0}{8} \sin^2(2\theta) = \dfrac{I_0}{32}
sin⁡2(2θ)=14\sin^2(2\theta) = \dfrac{1}{4}
sin⁡(2θ)=12\sin(2\theta) = \dfrac{1}{2}

This gives 2θ=30∘2\theta = 30^{\circ}, which means θ=15∘\theta = 15^{\circ}.

Answer: 15∘15^{\circ}
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