Physics Exam  >  Physics Questions  >  When an unpolarised light beam passes through... Start Learning for Free
When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray. Which of the following statements are correct? 
  • a)
    Intensity of both the rays remains constant.
  • b)
    Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.
  • c)
    Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.
  • d)
    Both the rays are unpolarised.
Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medi...
When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium it splits into two beams viz extraordinary ray which has different velocity in different directions and other is ordinary ray whose velocity in all direction is same. Both these are plane polarised and the plane of polarisations of these are perpendicular to each other. Thus, refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant while refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.
View all questions of this test
Most Upvoted Answer
When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medi...
Introduction:
When an unpolarized light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it undergoes a phenomenon known as double refraction or birefringence. This phenomenon occurs due to the different refractive indices of the medium for different polarization directions of light. As a result, the incident beam splits into two beams called the ordinary ray and the extraordinary ray.

Explanation:
Let's analyze each statement and determine if it is correct or not:

a) Intensity of both the rays remains constant:
This statement is incorrect. When an unpolarized light beam passes through a double refracting medium, the ordinary and extraordinary rays have different intensities. The intensity of the ordinary ray remains constant, while the intensity of the extraordinary ray depends on the angle of incidence and the polarization of the incident light.

b) Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant:
This statement is correct. The ordinary ray behaves as if it is passing through a single refracting medium with a constant refractive index. The refractive index of the ordinary ray is independent of the angle of incidence and the polarization of the incident light.

c) Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant:
This statement is correct. The refractive index of the extraordinary ray depends on the angle of incidence and the polarization of the incident light. It varies with the direction of the electric field vector of the incident light relative to the crystal structure of the double refracting medium.

d) Both the rays are unpolarized:
This statement is incorrect. When an unpolarized light beam passes through a double refracting medium, the ordinary and extraordinary rays are polarized. The ordinary ray remains polarized parallel to the direction of the incident electric field vector, while the extraordinary ray is polarized perpendicular to both the direction of the incident electric field vector and the direction of propagation.

Summary:
In summary, the correct statements are 'b) Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant' and 'c) Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant'. The intensity of both rays is not constant, and both rays are polarized.
Explore Courses for Physics exam

Similar Physics Doubts

When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer? for Physics 2024 is part of Physics preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Physics exam syllabus. Information about When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for Physics 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for Physics. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for Physics Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice When an unpolarised light beam passes through a double refracting medium, it splits up into two beams called ordinary ray and extraordinary ray.Which of the following statements are correct?a)Intensity of both the rays remains constant.b)Refractive index of the ordinary ray remains constant.c)Refractive index of the extraordinary ray does not remain constant.d)Both the rays are unpolarised.Correct answer is option 'B,C'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice Physics tests.
Explore Courses for Physics exam
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev