Horizontally polarized light reflecting off of a lake surface reaches a polarize

Question

Horizontally polarized light reflecting off of a lake surface reaches a polarizer with a vertically oriented transmission axis. What percentage of the original light intensity is transmitted through the polarizer? If an additional polarizer (with its transmission axis oriented at an angle of 35 degrees from the horizontal) is placed in front of the original polarizer (so that the light reaches the new polarizer first), what percentage of the original intensity is transmitted through both polarizers?

Explanation / Answer

I = Io * cos(theta)^2

in first case

theta = 90 degree

I = Io * cos(90)^2

I = 0

0 % of the original light intensity is transmitted through the polarizer

if the second polarizer is placed in front of front polarizer

then

theta = 35 degree

I = Io cos(35)^2

I/Io = 0.671

now while passing through second polarizer

theta = 90 - 35

theta = 55 degree

I = Io cos(35)^2 * cos(55)^2

I/Io = 0.22075

22.075 percent of the original intensity is transmitted through both polarizers

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