Optics Answers

  Explain how audible beats arise when two tuning forks of slightly different frequencies f and fo are sounded together. Derive the expression for the number of beats heard per second.

  Briefly describe an experiment using beats to determine f if fo is known.

         Two polarizers are oriented at 58.0° to one another. Light polarized at a 29.0° angle to each

          polarizer passes through both. What reduction in intensity takes place?

          If instead the orientation of the polarizers is 40°to one another and that only 15% of the light gets through both of them, what was the initial polarization direction of the incident light?

  Unpolarized Ught falls on two polarizer sheets whose axes are at right-angles.

      (a.) What fraction of the incident light intensity is transmitted?

       (b.) Nhat fraction is transmitted if a third polarizer is placed between the first two so that its axis

       makes a 45° angle with each of their axes?

When unpolarized light falls on the surface of a block of glass, the reflected light is partially

   polarized. If the angle of incidence is tan-1n, where n is the refractive index of the glass, the

   reflected light is completely linearly polarized. Describe the apparatus you would use and the

   experiments you would perform in order to verify these statements for a sample of glass of known

   refractive index.

   Why will it be necessary, if very accurate results were required to use monochromatic light to verify

   the second statement?

 Show that, when the condition for completely polarized light is satisfied, the reflected and refracted

   beams are at right angles to one another.

 Describe as fully as you can the nature of linearly polarized light.

How will you demonstrate that a beam of light is completely polarized?

What is meant by (a.) polarization by reflection and (b.) angle of polarization?

    Ca!calculate the angle of polarization for water of refractive index 1.33. 

 Describe two distinctly different methods of producing plane-polarized light.

Describe a method by which a plane-polarized beam of light can be distinguished from a partially plane-polarized beam.