1

Five solved problems of Malus's law

A beam of unpolarized light of intensity I04 W/m2normally falls on three sheets
polarizers as shown in the figure. The first and the third are crossed; the sheet that is in
the medium has its polarization direction rotated 60º with respect to the polarization direction of the
first.
a) Describe the state of polarization of the light behind each polarizing sheet. Represent it in the
it shows the polarization states described above.
b) What is the value of the light intensity (I1behind the first sheet?
c) Calculate the values of the light intensity behind the second polarizer (I2) and behind the third
polarizer (I3).
T

60º 90°
T
T
I0
I1 I2 I3

T
T
T SOLUTION
T
60º 90°
T
T
I0
I1 I2 I3

T
Paragraph a T
Behind the first polarizing film, theTlight is linearly polarized in the vertical plane,
as shown in the figure.
Behind the second polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized in a plane
inclined at 60º with respect to the vertical plane, as shown in the figure.
Behind the third polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized in the plane.
horizontal, as shown in the figure.

In the three previous cases, equivalent descriptions are accepted. For example, in the first case, the
"linearly polarized" is equivalent to "plane polarized" and the term "plane of polarization
"vertical" is equivalent to "the oscillations (of the vector E) take place in the vertical plane." In the
There are two other cases with similar description variants.
Section b
I0 4
I1 , I1 , I1= 2 W/m2
2 2

Item c
I2I1cos2 (ó I2=(I0/2)cos2 ), I2= 2.cos260º ( or 2=I (4/2)cos260º), I20.5 W/m2
 2

I3I2cos2 , I3= 0.5. cos230º, I30.375 W/m2

A beam of unpolarized light with intensity I08 W/m2it usually occurs on three sheets
polarizers as shown in the figure. The polarization directions of the first and the third
The sheets match the vertical; the sheet in the middle has its polarization direction rotated.
an angle, unknown, with respect to the vertical. The intensity of the light behind the second sheet
(I23 W/m2.
a) Describe the state of polarization of the light behind each polarizing sheet. Represent in the
figure the states of polarization described above.
b) What is the value of the light intensity (I1) behind the first sheet?
c) Calculate the angle of inclination ( of the polarization direction of the second sheet with
regarding the vertical and the intensity of light (I3) behind the third sheet.
T T
T

I0
I1 I2 I3

SOLUTION
T T
T T
T

I0
I1 I2 I3

T
T T
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Item a
Behind the first polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized in the vertical plane.
as shown in the figure.
Behind the second polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized in a plane.
inclined at an angle with respect to the vertical plane, as shown in the figure.
Behind the third polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized in the vertical plane.
as shown in the figure.
(In the three previous cases, equivalent descriptions are accepted. For example, in the first case the
"linearly polarized" is equivalent to "plane polarized" and the term "plane of polarization".
"vertical" is equivalent to "the oscillations (of the vector E) occur in the vertical plane".
There are two other cases with similar variants of description.

Item b
I0 8
I1 , I1 , I1= 4 W/m2
2 2

Item c
I2I1cos2 (o I2=(I0/2)cos2 )
I2 2I 2 3 3 2x3
cos oco , cos islands , = 30º
I1 I0 4 2 8
2
3 32.25 W/m2
I3I2cos2 , I3 3x , I3= 3 x
2 4
3. A beam of light from a laser is linearly polarized in the vertical direction. The beam strikes
normally on a polarizing sheet with its direction of polarization rotated 53º with respect to
the vertical, see figure a. The transmitted beam also falls with normal incidence on a second
polarizing sheet with its polarization direction horizontal.
a) Graphically represent the direction of polarization of light behind each sheet in figure a) and
Describe with your own words the state of polarization in each case.
b) If the intensity of the incident beam (I1it is 50 W/m2find the intensity of the light transmitted by the
second sheet ( I3).
c) If the first sheet is removed (figure b). What is the intensity of the transmitted light I?T? Justify your
response.
T
53°
90° 90°
T T
I1 I2 I3 I1 IT

T T
T
Figure a Figure b
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SOLUTION
T
53°
90° 90°
T T
I1 I2 I3 I1 IT

T T
T
Figure a Figure b
Subsection a
Behind the first polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized forming an angle.
at 53º with the vertical, as shown in the figure
Behind the second polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized in the plane.
horizontal, as shown in the figure
(In the previous two cases, equivalent descriptions are accepted. For example, in the second case the
The term 'linearly polarized' is equivalent to 'plane polarized' and the term 'plane of polarization'
"horizontal" is equivalent to "the oscillations (of the vector E) take place in the horizontal plane." In
In the other case, there are similar variants of description.
Subsection b

I2I1cos2 , I2= 50cos253º, I2= 18 W/m2

I3I2cos2 , I3= 18 cos237º, I311.52 W/m2

Item c
No light passes through the polarizer, or the intensity is zero.
Justifying by saying, for example, that the sheet has its polarization axis forming an angle of 90º.
with the polarization direction of the incident light, with which, in Malus's law cos290º = 0

4. A beam of light normally incident on a system of two polarizing sheets (see figure a)
linearly polarized in the horizontal direction. The first sheet has its direction of polarization
forming an angle of 37º with the vertical and the direction of polarization of the second layer coincides
with the vertical.
a) Graphically represent the direction of polarization of light behind each sheet (in figure a)
And describe in your own words the states of polarization in each case.
b) If the intensity (I1The incident beam power density is 30 W/m2find the intensity of the light transmitted by the
second sheet (I3).
c) If the first sheet is removed, figure b. What is the intensity of the transmitted light I?T? Justify your
response.
 5

T T
T 37º

I1 I2 I3 I1 IT

T
Figure a T SOLUTION Figure b T
T T
T 37º

I1 I2 I3 I1 IT

Item a T
Figure T T
Behind the first polarizing filter, the light isa linearly polarized forming an [Link] b
at 37º with the vertical, as shown in the figure
Behind the second polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized in the vertical plane.
as shown in the figure

(In the two previous cases equivalent descriptions are accepted. For example, in the second case the
término “linealmente polarizada” es equivalente a “plano polarizada” y el término “plano de polarización
"vertical" is equivalent to "the oscillations (of the vector E) occur in the vertical plane." In the
In another case, there are similar variants of description.

Item b
I2I1cos2 , I2= 30cos253º I210.8 W/m2, I210.8 W/m2
I3I2cos2 , I3= 10.8 cos237º, I3= 6.9 W/m2

Item c
No light passes through the polarizer, or the intensity is null.
Justify by saying, for example, that the sheet has its polarization axis forming an angle of 90º.
with the polarization direction of light
5. A beam of unpolarized light with intensity I0it normally incident on three polarizing sheets
as shown in the figure. The polarization direction of the first polarizing plate is horizontal,
the third polarizing plate is vertical and the second polarizing plate has its direction of
polarization rotated by an angle , unknown, with respect to the horizontal plane. The values of the
The intensity of light in front of and behind the second polarizer is I.140 W/m2I210 W/m2
respectively.
a) Describe the polarization state of the light behind each polarizing sheet. Represent it in the
figura los estados de polarización antes descritos.
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b) Calculate the angle of inclination ( of the polarization direction of the second polarizing film
regarding the horizontal plane.
c) Determine the intensity of the light (I3) behind the third polarizing film. What is the value of the
light intensity (I0of the incident light beam?
T
T
90º
I0 T
I1 I2 I3

T
SOLUTION
T T
T
T
90º
I0 T
I1 I2 I3

T
Subsection a
Behind the first polarizing sheet, the light is T linearly polarized in the plane.
horizontal, as shown in the figure. T
Behind the second polarizing film, the light is linearly polarized in a plane.
inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in the figure.
Behind the third polarizing sheet, the light is linearly polarized in the vertical plane.
as shown in the figure.
Subsection b
I2I1cos2 , 10= 40cos2 , because2 =10/40 or cos2 = 1/4 , cos = 1/2 = 600.
Item c
I3I2cos2(900 - ) (ó I3I2cos2300), I3=10.cos230º, I37.5 W/m2.