Rotating Polarizers: Find Light Intensity

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the final light intensity after passing through three linear polarizers, with the first receiving natural light and the second rotating at a known angular speed. The application of Malus's Law is essential, as it describes how the intensity of light changes when passing through polarizers. The initial thought was to express the intensity as a sum of two terms, but it was clarified that it should be a product due to the multiplicative nature of amplitude reduction at each polarizer. The angle for the second polarizer is expressed as ωt, which aligns with the rotation speed. The focus remains on determining the final intensity based on the incident light and the angular speed of the rotating polarizer.
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Homework Statement


There are three linear polarizers perpendicular to the same axe.
To the first one natural light arrives. If the second one rotates with angular speed known and the first and third ones have transmission lines perpendicular {between them}, find the intensity of final light in function of angular speed and incident light.

Homework Equations


Malus Law



The Attempt at a Solution



i though that the result was a sum of two terms. One of them is the intensity of light hits the rotational polarizers. And the second one is given by the last intensity multiplied to a `cos` of an angle that i cannot express.
in the first term i thought to express an angle in function of angular speed.
 
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The angle should be ωt.
It seems to me it will be a product, not a sum. At each polarizer, the amplitude will get multiplied by something less than 1. Your cos(ωt) sounds good for the second polarizer.
 

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