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° = .
What is the intensity of the light emerging from the analyser?
A. 120 W m−2
B. W m−2
C. 240 W m−2
D. 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.