Polarizer Stack Malus Law Calculator
Calculate transmitted power through an ideal sequence of linear polarizers at entered axis angles.
YOUR CALCULATION
Result
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Calculation steps
Work through one step at a time or reveal the complete calculation. The steps use your current inputs.
How to calculate
Apply Malus’s law successively, including the entered common extra loss factor at every sheet.
First unpolarized projection transmits half; each linear projection multiplies by cos²(axis difference)
Worked example
100 mW unpolarized light through axes 0°,45°,90° leaves 12.5 mW under ideal extra transmission.
Assumptions and input details
Ideal linear analyzers and incoherent power projection, no finite extinction ratio, wave plates, interference, wavelength dependence or laser-safety interpretation. Extra throughput multiplies the already projected component, not the raw unpolarized power.
Unit definitions
Unit selection is independent of language. Each selector contains only units for its physical quantity. Calculations use defined base units internally.
SI prefixes are explicit: for example, milli means one thousandth, micro one millionth and kilo one thousand. Changing a unit changes the interpretation of the entered number.
Using this calculator
Can I enter my own problem?
Yes. Replace the example values with your own inputs. The result, calculation steps, tables and applicable diagrams update from those inputs. Blank or invalid values clear the result; example values are never silently substituted for missing inputs.
Are the results exact?
Results use floating-point arithmetic and displayed rounding. Read the formula, assumptions and any stated data precision before interpreting the result.
Is my input uploaded?
The calculation runs in your browser. No account, file upload or external AI service is required. Inputs are not saved between page reloads.
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