Thanks for providing solutions! Can I just ask for the polarisation question to be clarified please (Q26)?
If we assume 50% of light is polarised in x direction and 50% polarised in y direction, then I would think we get the following equations when passed through a polariser:
![](https://latex.codecogs.com/png.latex?\bg_white \therefore I = I_x + I_y = 0.5I_{max}(cos^2\theta+sin^2\theta) = 0.5I_max)
Which is the behaviour we do get with unpolarised light.
The answers, however, say the following:
If the unpolarised light was comprised of a constant mix of x and y polarisations, the intensity is expected to vary with the angle that the polarisation axis makes with the vector sum of the x and y polarisations, by Malus’s Law.
This contradicts my working, and so either the answer is incorrect or my working is incorrect. I am inclined to believe the latter.
Can someone please explain to me where I have gone wrong?
Thank you