Interference: Newton's Ring Experiment

INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

Newton's rings are an example of fringes of equal thickness Newton's rings are formed when a Plano-convex lens P of a large radius of curvature placed on a sheet of plane glass AB is illuminated from the top with monochromatic light The combination forms a thin circular air film of variable thickness in all directions around the point of contact of the lens and the glass plate The locus of all points corresponding to specific thickness of the air film falls on a circle whose centre id at O. Consequently, interference fringes are observed in the form of a series of concentric rings with their centre at O Newton originally observed the concentric circular fringes and hence they are called Newton's rings
INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

M G

P o

S: Source L: Lens G: Glass plate P: Plano convex lens AB: Plane glass plate M: Microscope

Newton's ring exp setup

Newton's ring experimental set up

INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

Monochromatic light from extended source S is rendered parallel by a lens L. It is incident on a glass plate inclined at 45o to the horizontal, and is reflected normally down onto a Plano convex lens placed on a flat glass plate Part of the light incident on the system is reflected from the glass to air boundary and remaining light is transmitted through the air film. It is again reflected form the air to glass boundary The two rays reflected from the top and bottom of the air film are derived through division of amplitude form the same incident ray and they are coherent The ray 1 and ray 2 are close to each other and interfere to produce darkness or brightness The condition of brightness and darkness depends on the path difference between the two reflected rays, which in turn depends on the thickness of the air film at the point of incidence
INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

M G

P o

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Condition for Bright and Dark rings

The optical path difference between the rays is given by

= 2t cos r /2
Since =1 and cos r=1 for normal incidence of light

= 2t /2
Intensity maxima occur when the optical path difference

= m
CONDITION FOR BRIGHT FRINGE

Then

2t=(2m+1) /2
Intensity minima occur when the optical path difference Hence 2t-/2=(2m+1) /2

= (2m+1)/2

2t= m
INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

CONDITION FOR DARK FRINGE

Radii of Dark fringes

Let R be the radius of curvature of the lens Let a dark fringe be located at Q Let the thickness of the film at Q be PQ=t Let the radius of the circular fringe at Q be OQ= rm P By the Pythagoras theorem PM2= PN2+MN2 R2= rm2+ (R-t)2 rm2= 2Rt-t2 As R>>t, then 2Rt >> t2 therefore rm2 = 2Rt t Q rm O rm R M

The condition for darkness at Q is that 2t= m rm2 = mR rm= (mR)1/2

INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

The radii of dark fringes can be found by inserting values m= 1,2, 3 then r1 = r2 = r3 = 1 R 2 R 3 R

It means that the radii of dark rings are propotional to under root of the natural numbers The above relation also implies that rm =

The radius of the m th dark ring is proportional to under root of wavelength

Ring Diameter

Diameter of m th dark ring D m =2rm D m = 2 2Rt D m = 2 m R

SPACING BETWEEN FRINGES

It is seen that the diameter of the dark ring is given by D m = 2 mR where m=1,2,3...... The diameters of dark rings are propotional to the square root of the natural numbers Therefore , the diameter of the ring does not increase in the same proportion as the order of the ring for ex, if m increases as 1 ,2,3,4...... D1= 2 R D2 = 2 2R = 2(1.4) R D3 = 2 3R = 2(1.7) R D4 = 2 4R = 2(2) R and so on... Therefore, the rings get closer and closer as m increases This is why the rings are not evenly spaced

Fringes of equal thickness

It is observed that path difference between the reflected rays arises due to the variation in the thickness t of the air film Reflected light will be of minimum intensity for those thickness for which the path difference is m and maximum intensity for those thickness for which the path difference is (2m+1)/2. Thus each maxima and minima is a locus of constant film thickness. Therefore the fringes are known as fringes of equal thickness
INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

Dark is central spot

Since the thickness at the center is zero (t=0) = 2t /2 = -/2 The wave reflected from the lower surface of the air film suffers a phase change of while the wave reflected from the upper surface of the film does not suffer such change Thus the two interfering waves at the centre are opposite in phase and produce a dark spot

INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

Determination of wave length of light

A Plano-convex lens of large radius of curvature ( about 100 cm) and a flat glass plate are cleaned. The lens is kept with its convex surface on the glass plate and they are held in position with the help of metal ring arrangement The system is held under a lower power travelling microscope kept before a sodium vapor lamp. It is arranged that the yellow light coming from the sodium falls on a glass plate held at 45o light beam The light is turned through 90o and is incident normally on the lens-plate system The microscope is adjusted till the circular rings came in to focus

INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

The centre of the cross wire is made to come into focus on the centre of the dark spot, which is at the centre of the circular system Now, turning the screw the microscope is moved on the carriage slowly towards one side, say right side. As the cross wires move in the field of view, dark ring is counted say it is 20th ring. Then note down the reading and move slowly towards 19th ring take the reading. Like this note down the value up to 1st ring and move slowly towards other side i.e., left side note down the 1st dark ring reading and continue the same procedure up to 20th dark ring The difference between the readings of the right and left sides of the 5th dark ring gives the diameter value The procedure is repeated till the 20th ring is reached and its reading is noted. From the value of the diameters the square of the diameters are calculated

INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

The graph is plotted between Dm2 and the ring number m. A straight line would be obtained

w e have D m = 4m R
2

Dm2 D (m+p)2 - Dm2 p

for the (m + p)
2

th

ring, D 2 + p) = 4( m + p ) R (m
m m+p

D (m + p) D m = 4 p R
2

4 pR T he slope of the straight line gives the value of 4 R slope = 4R T he radius of curvature R of the lens m ay be determ ined using spherom eter and is com puted w ith the help of the above equations
INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

D 2 + p) D m 2 (m

Refractive index of the liquid

T h e li q u id , w h o s e r e f r a c t iv e i n d e x i s t o b e d e t e r m in e d , is f ille d in th e g a p b e tw e n th e le n s a n d p la n e g la s s p la te . N o w th e liq u id f ilm s u b s t itu t e s th e a ir f ilm T h e c o n d iti o n f o r in te r f e r n c e m a y b e w r itte n a s 2 tc o s r = m - D a r k n e s s w h e r e i s t h e r e f r a c t iv e i n d e x o f t h e f ilm s in c e 2t = m 2 2r2 = m t= r , 2R 2R r2 = m R

or

D 2 = 4m R 2 = 4m R D m L f o r th e ( m + p ) th r i n g ,
D2 = 4 (m + p ) R (m + p ) L D2 - D m 2 = 4 P R L (m + p )

B u t w e k n o w th a t

D2 - Dm2 = 4PR (m + p ) a ir D2 - Dm2 (m + p ) a ir = 2 - Dm2 D L iq u i d (m + p )

INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM

Thank you

References: A text book of OPTICS by N.Subrahmanyam, Brijlal and M.N. Avadhanulu Optics by Ajoy Ghatak

INTERFERENCE LECTURE BY DR.T.VISHWAM