Polarizers 1 and 3 have their axes of polarization indicated by the black solid lines, perpendicular to each other. polarizer 2 has an axis of polarization that has an angle of θ = 50.9° with respect to the polarization axis of polarizer 1. what percentage of the initial (unpolarized) light intensity passes through?

percentage of unpolarized light intensity,

Given:

Polarization angle for the 2nd polarizer,

Solution:

If I be the intensity of unpolarized light, then the intensity of light passing through the first polarizer, I':

Now, the intensity of light through polarizer 2, I":

Also Polarizer 1 and 3 are perpendicular to each other:

Therefore,

Intensity of light passing through polarizer 3:

I"' = 0.0852 I

Now, percentage of unpolarized light intensity: