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Fresnel Biprism

12.Fresnel Biprism
Background
Wavelength
Phase
Coherence
Fresnel Biprism
Virtual Source
Interference
Aim of the experiment
To measure the wavelength of Sodium Light

Apparatus required
A sodium Lamp
A optical bench
A slit
A bi-prism
An eye-piece

Theory
The Fresnel biprism is a prism which has one of its angles slightly less than two
right angles and two equal small base angles. It acts like two very thin prisms placed
base to base.
When rays from a slit, S, illuminated by a monochromatic light, such as sodium
light are made to be incident on the plane face of the biprism (PQR), the emergent
rays from the two halves of the biprism appear to diverge from two coherent virtual
sources, S1 and S2 (Fig. 1). If a screen (AB) is placed with its plane perpendicular to
the plane containing the slit and the common base of the biprism, the emergent beams
of light overlap on the screen producing alternate dark and bright fringes.

(a)
( D

Fig. 1 Diagram of Fresnel’s biprism experiment

If d is the distance between the two virtual sources S1 and S2, D is the distance
between the slit and the screen, and λ is the wavelength of the monochromatic

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radiation, then the fringe width, x, i.e., the distance between two consecutive dark or
bright fringes is given by

x=D …(1)
d
To determine d, a convex lens having such a focal length that the distance
between the slot and the focal plane of the eye-piece exceeds four times the focal
length is interposed between the biprism and the eye-piece. The lens is adjusted so
that for two of its positions the real images of the two virtual sources S1 and S2 are
focused on the focal plane of the eye-piece. If d1 and d2 are the distances between the
real images of S1 and S2 for two positions of the lens, then

d = d1 d 2 …(2)

Procedure
1. Mount the gadgets on the optical bench.
2. Study all the movements on each stand.
3. Ensure that all the pieces are aligned at roughly the same height
4. Remove the stand with the convex lens from the optical bench.
5. Bring the eyepiece close to the biprism.
6. Looking through the eyepiece you will see a bright vertical patch of light. A
slight rotation of the biprism in its own plane will break up this patch into
vertical equidistance fringes.
7. Adjust the slit width to get the best compromise between brightness and
sharpness of the fringe pattern.
8. Move the eyepiece slowly away from the biprism along the optical bench to a
distance of about 100 cms. Keeping the fringe pattern all the time in the field
of view.
9. Keeping eyepiece at a distance of 100 cm from the biprism, measure the fringe
width by measuring the distance traversed by the eyepiece in crossing about
10 fringes using the main and circular scales on the eye-piece.
10. Interpose the convex lens between the biprism and the eyepiece making sure
that D>4f.
11. Move the lens along the optical bench till you locate two conjugate positions
of the lens at which you can see real images of the double slit in the field of
view of the eyepiece.
12. Without disturbing the positions of the slit, biprism and the eyepiece measure
the double-slit image separations d 1 and d2
13. Using equations (2) and (3) calculate λ.

Observations
Vernier Constant for the bench stands :
Least count of the micrometer screw of the eye piece :

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Table 1

Measurement of fringe-width

a) Position of the slit on the bench = …cm.


b) Position of the biprism on the bench = …cm.
c) Position of the eye-piece on the bench = …cm.

Table 1
Appare Direct Eye- Readings (mm) of micro- meter Width Mean R Mean
nt ion of piece screw for 10 (mm) fringe
distance the set at Liner scale Circular Total fringes width
between eye- the scale R(mm) x=R/10
the slit piece fringes (mm)
and the move
eye- ment
piece
(cm)
1

L→R
11

12 x1
D1

22

23

R→L 13

12

L→R
11

12 x2
D2

22

23

R→L 13

12

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Table 2
Determination of d

Position of the slit on the bench = cm. Approximate focal length of the lens = cm
Position of the biprism on the bench = .cm Position of the eye-piece on the bench = cm

Readings (mm)of the micrometer screw for


No. of Observations

Between the image


Position of the lens

Direction of eye-
d=

piece movement

Distance(mm)
Left image Right image
on the bench d1 d2 in
d1d 2

R1 ~ R2
Linear scale
Linear scale

Circ. scale

Circ. scale
(mm)

Total
Total
(mm)

R1

R2
l→r
1 … r→l =d1

l→r
r→l
l→r
1 … r→l
=d2
l→r
r→l
l→r
2 … r→l
=d1
l→r
r→l
l→r
2 … r→l =d2

l→r
r→l

Mean d= mm

Table 3
Determination of the wavelength
Fringe width Distance Apparent
x d distance D x
(cm) (cm) (cm) = d
[From Table 2] [From Table 1] [From Table 2] D

cm =

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Error calculation

x
λ= d
D

Since,
d = d1 d 2 , we get
x
λ= d 1d 2
D
Therefore, the maximum proportional error in λ is given by

δλ δx δD 1 δd1 1 δd 2
= + + +
λ x D 2 d1 2 d 2

Since x is measured by taking the differences between the readings of the


micrometer screw of the eye-piece, the maximum error in the measurement of either x
would be twice the least count of the micrometer screw. Similarly, the maximum
error in measuring D1 or D2 may be twice the vernier constant of the verniers attached
to the bench stands. d1 and d2 are also measured from the differences of the readings
of the micrometer screw of the eye-piece. Hence the maximum error in the
measurement of either d1 or d2 would be also twice the least count.
If the vernier constant for the bench stands be 0.01 cm and the least count of
the micrometer screw of the eye-piece be 0.001 cm, then the maximum proportional
error in λ is given by

δλ 0.001 0.01 0.001 0.001


= 2. + 2. + +
λ x D1 d1 d2

δλ
Substituting the measured values of x, D, d 1 and d2 in the above expression, can be
λ
calculated. By multiplying this calculated value by 100, the maximum percentage
error in λ is obtained.

Discussion
(i) In the measurement of the distance (d) between the two virtual sources S1
and S2, the distance between the slit and the screen should be nearly equal
to 4.5 times the focal length of the convex lens so that d 1 and d 2 do not
differ largely. This will reduce the error in measuring d.

(ii) While using the micrometer screw, care should be taken to avoid back lash
error arising from the misfit between the micrometer screw and the nut in
an old instrument. To do this, the eye-piece should be moved beyond the

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image concerned before reversing it direction of movement from left to


right, or vice versa. One can also find the distance from the initial and
final readings of the screw and counting the number of complete turns,
without depending on the linear scale.

(iii) While measuring d 1 and d2, the images may be distorted due to spherical
aberration. To avoid this distortion, a top with a passage of light through
the central portion of the lens may be used.

Questions
1. What is the SI unit of wavelength? How is it related to Angstrom?
2. What is meant by interference of light?
3. What do you mean by coherent sources?
4. Why is it necessary that the two sources must be coherent to produce sustained
interference?
5. In the Fresnel biprism experiment, how are two coherent sources realized?
6. If, instead of a monochromatic light white light is used in Fresnel biprism
experiment, what will you see in the fringe system?
7. Why do you use a narrow slit? What will be the effect on the fringes if you
broaden the slit?
8. What will happen if the (a) slit-to-biprism distance, (b) biprism-to-eye-piece
distance, and (c) slit to eye-piece distance is increased?
9. What is the order of angle of the biprism φ? What will happen if φ is increased?
10. Is it possible to determine the angle φ in your experiment?
11. Can you locate the central fringe?
12. Is it preferable to have d1 and d2 nearly equal?
13. What are the differences between the biprism fringes and Newton’s rings?
Will you be able to estimate the thickness of a given mica sheet of know
refractive index, using the same experimental set up? How?
14. Show that the virtual image S1 lies in the same plane as S.

References
1. Fundamental of Optics by F. Jenkins and H. White 535 JEN/F
2. Optics by A.Ghatak 535 GHA/O
3. Optics by E. Hecht 535 HEC/O

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