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Date May 2022 Marks available 1 Reference code 22M.1.SL.TZ2.18
Level Standard level Paper Paper 1 Time zone 2
Command term Question number 18 Adapted from N/A

Question

Unpolarized light with an intensity of 320 W m−2 goes through a polarizer and an analyser, originally aligned parallel.

The analyser is rotated through an angle θ = 30°. Cos 30° = 32.

What is the intensity of the light emerging from the analyser? 

A.  120 W m−2

B.  803 W m−2

C.  240 W m−2

D.  1603 W m−2

Markscheme

A

Examiners report

This question proved a little challenging for SL candidates with many choosing incorrect answers especially C or D instead of correct A. At HL option C also was a popular option although a high discrimination index shows that the question discriminated well between the candidates. It appears that candidates are forgetting that 50% of the intensity is lost when unpolarised light passes through a polarizer, and then more is lost at the analyser according to Malus' Law.

Syllabus sections

Core » Topic 4: Waves » 4.3 – Wave characteristics
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