Halliday, Resnick & Walker — Electromagnetic Waves: Problem 16

16 At a beach the light is generally partially polarized due to reflections off sand and water. At a particular beach on a particular day near sundown, the horizontal component of the electric field vector is 2.0 times the vertical component. A standing sunbather puts on polarizing sunglasses; the glasses eliminate the horizontal field component. (a) What fraction of the light intensity received before the glasses were put on now reaches the sunbather’s eyes? (b) The sunbather, still wearing the glasses, lies on his side. What fraction of the light intensity received before the glasses were put on now reaches his eyes?