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AP Physics 2
14.4 Electromagnetic Waves
14.3 Boundary Behavior of Waves and Polarization
AdvancedMCQMathematicalProportional Analysis17.9k
Scattering of two EM waves of different wavelengths by atmospheric gas molecules.
Scattering of two EM waves of different wavelengths by atmospheric gas molecules.
Two monochromatic electromagnetic waves, Wave 1 with wavelength \(\lambda_1 = 600\text{ nm}\) and Wave 2 with wavelength \(\lambda_2 = 300\text{ nm}\), propagate through a planetary atmosphere with identical incident intensities \(I_0\) and electric field amplitudes \(E_0\). The atmospheric gas molecules scatter light according to Rayleigh scattering, where the scattered intensity \(I_s\) is proportional to \(\lambda^{-4}\), and the EM wave intensity is proportional to the square of its electric field amplitude (\(I \propto E^2\)). What are the ratio of the scattered light intensity of Wave 2 to Wave 1, \(I_{s,2}/I_{s,1}\), and the ratio of their scattered electric field amplitudes, \(E_{s,2}/E_{s,1}\), at equal distances from the scattering molecules?

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