When a beam of light is passed through a polarizer, it is polarized in

[touqra]

When a beam of light is passed through a polarizer, it is polarized in a certain direction, say the x-direction. So, the irradiance or the energy of the initial beam is now reduced. The y-direction electric field could not pass through.
So, where has the y-direction electric field gone, which carries some of the energy of the initial beam?

 

[DaveC426913]

Am I oversimplifying? Or are you asking what happens to the energy that doesn't make it through the filter?

It gets absorbed by the filter itself - as heat.

 

[Claude Bile]

Depends what the polariser is. Polaroids absorb the non-transmitted components, whereas beam splitters for example will transmit one and reflect the other.

Claude.

 

[DaveC426913]

Depends what the polariser is. Polaroids absorb the non-transmitted components, whereas beam splitters for example will transmit one and reflect the other.

Claude.

But he's asking about light passing through polarizers.

 

[Claude Bile]

I took polariser to mean polarising devices in general, but upon reflection it occurred to me the OP may just be referring to polaroids.

Claude.