Question

 A photographer wants to take a picture of an interesting cloud formation. To increase the ratio of the clouds' intensity to that of the blue sky the photographer uses a polarizing filter. 

Why the color of the sky is blue? 

How would the photographer use the polarizing filter to find out the direction of polarization of the light coming from the blue sky? Her only reference is the polarization axis of the filter. 

Find the angle φ between the filter's polarizing axis and the direction of polarization of light necessary to increase the ratio of the clouds' intensity to that of the blue sky so that it is twice of the normal value.

Answer 1

b) rotate the filter until the light's intensity is maximum; light's polarization is along filter's axis

C) Use Malus law: \(I=I_{0} \cos ^{2} \Phi\)

The finial intensity of the randomly scattered light will be \(0.5 * I_{0}\) as this is the average value of \(\cos ^{2} \Phi\)

\(\frac{1}{6}=1 * \cos ^{2} \theta\)

\(\Phi=65.92^{\circ}\)