Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.

3 Polarization 2021-2022

1. The diagram shows sunlight reflected from a lake surface. The reflected sunlight is plane-polarized.

(a) What is the plane of polarisation of the reflected light?

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(b) The angle θ is the angle between the surface of the lake and the line of sight of the observer. Calculate
the value of θ at which the reflected sunlight from the surface is minimized. The refractive index of
the water is 1.3.
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2. (a) State Malus law

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(b) Polarised light is incident on a polariser whose transmission axis makes an angle of 25° with the
direction of the electric field of the incident light. Calculate the fraction of the incident light intensity
that gets transmitted through the polariser.

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3. Two polarisers have their transmission axes at right angles to each other.

(a) Explain why no light will get transmitted through the second polariser.

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

(b) A third polariser is inserted in between the first two. Its transmission axis is at 45° to the other
two. Determine whether any light will be transmitted by this arrangement of three polarisers.

(c) If the third polariser were placed in front of the first rather than in between the two, would your
answer to (b) change?

4. (a) State what is meant by the term Brewster angle.

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(b) Calculate the Brewster angle for light incident on a liquid of refractive index 1.40.

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(c) Calculate the angle of refraction for a ray of light incident on the liquid with an angle of incidence
equal to the value you found in (b)

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5. Calculate the polarising angle for light that is (a) incident on a water-air surface from air (b) incident on
a water-air surface from water. Take the refractive index for water to be 1.33

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6. Explain why only transverse waves can be polarised.

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

7. Light is incident on an analyser. The transmitted intensity is measured as the orientation of the analyser is
changed. In each of the following three outcomes, determine whether the incident light is polarised,
partially polarised or completely unpolarised, explaining your answers.

(a) The intensity of the transmitted light is the same no matter what the orientation of the analyser.

(b) The intensity of the transmitted light varies depending on the orientation of the analyser. At a
particular orientation, the transmitted intensity is zero.

(c) The transmitted intensity varies as the orientation varies, but it never becomes zero.

8. The fact that light is a transverse wave derives its evidential support from the observation that
A. light can undergo inteference B. light can be diffracted
C. light can be polarised D. light can be refracted.

9. A ray of unpolarised light is incident on a glass plate at the polarising angle 57°. Then
A. the reflected and refracted rays are completely polarised and the angle between them is
90°
B. the reflected ray is completely polarised and the refracted ray is partially polarised and
the angle between them is 90°
C. the reflected ray is partially polarised and the refracted ray is completely polarised and
the angle between them is 90°
D. the reflected and refracted rays are partially polarised and the angle between them is
90°

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

10. Caroline is looking into a pond as shown below. A tree is located on the far side of the pond. When she looks in
one particular direction, she can see the bottom of the pond as well as the reflection of the top of a tree on the far
side of the pond.

(a) Add rays to the diagram to show how light arrives at her eyes from
(i) the tree top.
(ii) the bottom of the pond. [2]
(b) She notices that the bottom of the pond becomes clearer when she puts on Polaroid sunglasses. Explain why. [3]

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11. (a) Outline how a travelling wave in a string can be used to describe the nature of polarized light. [3]

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(b) A beam of light strikes a piece of glass at an angle of 30° with the surface. The reflected light viewed through a
polaroid is seen to be minimised at this angle. What is the refractive index of glass? [2]

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

(c) (i) Explain the terms ‘polariser’ and ‘analyser’ [2]

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(ii) Unpolarised light of intensity I0 is incident on an analyser. Draw the variation of the intensity of light transmitted
through the analyser when the analyser is rotated from 0° to 180° [2]

(iii) Unpolarised light of intensity I0 is incident on the polariser. The light emerging from the polariser is then incident
on an analyser. Draw the variation of the intensity of light transmitted through the analyser when the analyser is
rotated from 0° to 180° keeping the polariser stationary. [2]

12. (a) State what is meant by unpolarized light. [1]

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

(b) A beam of unpolarized light of intensity 2.2 W m–2 is incident on an ideal polarizing filter. State the value of
the intensity of the transmitted light. Explain your answer. [2]

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13.

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

14. Plane-polarized light is incident normally on a polarizer which is able to rotate in the plane perpendicular to the
light as shown below.

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

In diagram 1, the intensity of the incident light is 8 W m–2 and the transmitted intensity of light is 2 W m–2. Diagram 2
shows the polarizer rotated 90° from the orientation in diagram 1. What is the new transmitted intensity?
A. 0 W m–2 B. 2 W m–2 C. 6 W m–2 D. 8 W m–3

15. The fact that light is a transverse wave derives its evidential support from the observation that
A. light can undergo inteference B. light can be diffracted
C. light can be polarised D. light can be refracted.

16.

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Grade 12 Waves Topic 4.3 Polarization 2021-2022

17.

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