Tutorial sheet #1 (Interference)

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1. Two coherent sources whose intensity ratio is 144:1 produce interference fringes. Deduce the ratio of
maximum to minimum intensity of the fringe system.
2. Suppose Youngs experiment is performed with blue-green light of wavelength 500 nm. The slits are
1.2 mm apart and the viewing screen is 5.4 m from the slits. How far apart are the bright fringes?
3. A double slit arrangement produces interference fringes for sodium light (=589 nm) that have an
angular separation of 3.5x10-3 rad. For what would the angular separation be 10.0% greater?
In a Fresnels biprism experiment the distance between eyepiece and slit is 1 m. and the eye piece
has to be displaced through a distance of 3.4 mm for 20 fringes. For two conjugate positions of convex
lens between the biprism and the eye piece the distance between the two images are found to be 4.05
mm and 2.90 mm. Calculate the wavelength of light used in this experiment.
The distance between the slit & biprism and the biprism & the screen are 50 cm each. The angle of
the biprism is 1790 and its = 1.5. If the distance between the successive fringes is 0.0135 cm, calculate
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When a thin monochromatic source was placed at a distance of 50 cm from a biprism of = 1.5; the
fringe-width of the interference bands was found to be 0.012 cm on a screen placed at a 100 cm distance
from the biprism. If =5893 then find the obtuse angle of the biprism.
A Fresnel biprism arrangement is set with sodium light ( =5893 ) and in the field of view of the
eye piece we get 62 fringes. How many fringes shall we get in the same field of view if we replace the
source by mercury lamp using a) green filter (=5461 ), b) violet filter ( =4358 ).
The refractive index of biprism is 1.5. With a monochromatic source of light, the fringe width
obtained is 0.2 mm. The whole set up is immersed in liquid of refractive index 1.3. What will be the
fringe width now?
In an experiment with a biprism a convex lens is kept in between the biprism and the eyepiece. In
two different positions of the lens the distance between the images obtained in the eyepiece are 0.42 mm
and 1.21 mm. In one position of the eyepiece the fringe width is 0.4mm., when the eyepiece is moved
away 60 cm the fringe width increases by 0.5mm. Calculate the wavelength of the source used.
In a biprism experiment, the fringes of width 0.0195 cm are observed at 100 cm from the slit. On
introducing a convex lens 30 cm from the slit, the two images of the slit are seen 0.7 cm apart at 100 cm
distance from the slit. Calculate the wavelength of light used.
A double slit of separation 1mm. is illuminated by white light (between 4000- 8000 ) on a screen
60 cm away colored interference pattern is formed. If a pinhole is made on this screen at a distance of 2
mm. from the central white fringe, what wavelengths will be absent in the transmitted light?
Biprism fringes are produced using a source of wavelength 5893 . The biprism is of refractive
index 1.50 and refracting angles 1.040 and 1.230. The distance of focal plane of eyepiece from the
biprism is 56.1 cm and the distance from the slit to biprism is 12.4 cm Calculate a) separation of the
coherent slit images and b) the fringe width.
In a Fresnels biprism experiment on inserting a thin plate of glass in the path of one of the
interfering beams it is found that the central bright fringe shifts to the position previously occupied by
the sixth bright fringe. If the wavelength of light used is 6000 and the refractive index of glass plate is
1.50 for this wavelength, calculate the thickness of the plate.

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In biprism experiment fringes are first observed with sodium light ( =5893 ) and fringe width was
measured as .347 mm. Then two thin transparent sheets A and B of thickness 0.016 mm. and 0.02 mm.
and refractive indices 1.65 and 1.45 respectively were introduced in the two beams. Calculate the shifts
of fringe system. Is the shift toward A or B?
In one path in a biprism arrangement an air cell of 10 cm thickness is introduced and the pressure in
it is changed at the rate of 2.0 cm of mercury per minute. Given that in gases -1 is proportional to
pressure and for air at 76 cm pressure is 1.000293, deduce the rate at which the fringe system shifts
taking / = 2.15 103. (Here = fringe width, = refractive index, and = wavelength.)
In a typical biprism arrangement b/a =20, and for sodium light ( 5893 ) one obtains a fringe
width of 0.1 cm; here b is the distance between the biprism and the screen. Assuming n = 1.5, calculate
the angle .
In the double hole experiment using white light, consider two points on the screen, one
corresponding to a path difference of 5000 and the other corresponding to a path difference of 40000.
Find the wavelengths ( in the visible region) which correspond to constructive and destructive
interference. What will be the colour of these points?
I
In the Youngs double hole experiment calculate I max where I represents the intensity at a point

where the path difference is 5 .

Monochromatic light emitted by a broad source of wavelength 5800 , falls normally on two plates
of glass enclosing a wedge shaped film. The plates touch at one end and are separated at a point 15 cm.
from that at the end by a wire of 0.05 mm. diameter. Find the fringe width.
A soap film of r.i 4/3 and of thickness 1.5 10-4 cm is illuminated by white light incident at an
angle of 450. The light reflected by it is examined spectroscopically in which it is found that a dark band
corresponds to a wavelength of 510-5 cm. Calculate the order of the dark band.
Two rectangular glass - plates are laid one upon another with a wire between them at one edge, so as
to enclose a thin wedge-shaped air film. The plates are illuminated normally by sodium light ( = 5893
). Bright and dark fringes are formed, there being 10 of each per cm length of the wedge, measured
normal to the edge in contact. Find the angle of the wedge.
Two wires with diameters 0.010 cm and 0.020 cm respectively are laid parallel to each other and
2.00 cm apart on a piece of plane glass; another piece of plane glass is then laid on top. If the light used
is of wavelength 5.46 10-5 cm., calculate the distance between consecutive bright fringes.
A glass plate 0.40 micron thick is illuminated by a beam of white light normal to the plate. for
glass is 1.50. Calculate the wavelengths within the limits of visible spectrum ( = 4.0 10 -5 cm to =
7.010-5 cm) which will be intensified in the reflected beam.
Bright light of = 585 nm is incident perpendicularly on a soap film (=1.33) of thickness 1.21 m,
suspended in air. Is the light reflected by the two surfaces of the film closer to interfering fully
destructively or fully constructively?
A Newtons ring arrangement is used with a source emitting two wavelengths 1 = 6000 and 2 =
4500 and it is found that the nth dark ring due to 1 coincides with (n+1)th dark ring for 2. If the radius
of curvature of the curved surface is 90 cm. find the diameter of the nth dark ring of 1.

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Newtons rings are formed with reflected light of wavelength 5.095 10-5 cm with a liquid between
the plane and curved surface. The diameter of the 5th bright ring is 0.3 cm. and radius of curvature of the
curved surface is 100 cm. Calculate the refractive index of the liquid.
Three convex spherical glass surfaces have large radii of 200.0, 300.0 and 400.0 cm. respectively.
When they are brought into contact in pairs and extended source of red light with a wavelength of 6500
is used, find (a) the path difference d and (b) the radii r of the 20 th bright ring for each of the three
combinations.
In the Newtons rings arrangement, the radius of curvature of the curved surface is 50 cm. The radius
of 9th and 16th dark rings are 0.18 cm and 0.2235 cm. Calculate the wavelength. [ Hint : The use of
equation rn2 = nR will give wrong results, why?]
Plano convex lens of radius 3m is placed on an optically flat glass plate and is illuminated by
monochromatic light. The diameter of 8th dark ring in the transmitted system is 0.72 cm. Calculate the
wave length of the light used.
In a Newtons ring experiment the radius of curvature of the plano-convex lens is 100cm & the
wavelength of the source is 5000. When the lens is lifted by certain amount the diameter of the 10 th
ring, reduces to half of its original value, calculate the amount by which the lens was raised.
Light containing two wavelengths 1 & 2 falls normally on a plano convex lens of radius of
curvature R resting on a glass plate. If the nth dark ring due to 1 coincides with the (n+1)th dark ring due
to 2 prove that the radius of the nth dark ring of 1 is = [(1 2 R)/( 1 -2)]1/2
The convex surface of a plano-convex glass lens with curvature radius R=40 cm comes into contact
with a glass plate. A certain ring observed in reflected light has a radius r=2.5mm. Watching the given
ring, the lens was gradually raised from the plate by a distance 5.0 m. What has the radius of that ring
become to?

Tutorial sheet #2 (Diffraction)

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Calculate the angular dispersion between two wavelengths with a difference of 1 A0, the mean
wavelength being 5000 for a diffraction grating with 6000 lines per cm in the 2 nd order. Find the
effective width of the ruling surface necessary to resolve these lines.
Microwaves of 6000Mc/s frequency are incident normally on a slit of variable width and large
length. A receiver is placed at a large distance on the other side at angle 30 with normal. For what
width of the slit would the receiver show zero intensity? How many lines per cm. are there in a grating
which gives an angle of diffraction to 30 in the first order of light of wavelength 6x10-5 cm.
A diffraction grating has 5000 lines per cm and the total ruled width is 5 cm. Calculate for a
wavelength of 5000 in the second order (i) the dispersion (ii) the resolving power and (iii) the smallest
difference in wavelength resolved. What happens if half the ruling width is covered?
The two slits of s double-slit each has a width of 0.140mm and a distance between centers of
0.840mm. (i) what orders are missing? (ii) express the intensity of orders m=1 to m=6 in terms of
intensity I0 of order m=0.
A grating has 1000 lines ruled on it. In the region of wavelength = 6000 , find (i) the separation
between two wavelengths that can be just resolved in the first order spectrum and (i) the resolving power
in the second order.
Light composed of two spectral lines with wavelength 6000 and 6005 falls normally on a
diffraction grating 10 mm wide. At a certain diffraction angle these lines are close to being resolved
( according to Rayleighs criterion). Find .
The distance between the first and fifth minima of a single slit diffraction pattern is .35mm with the
screen 40 cm away from the slit, using light of wavelength 550nm (a) find the slit width (b) calculate
the angle of the first diffraction minimum.
A diffraction grating has 200 ruling/ mm and it produces an intensity maximum at = 30 (a) what
are the possible wavelengths of the incident visible light? (b) to what color do they correspond?
Assume that the limits of the visible spectrum are arbitrarily chosen as 430nm and 680nm. Calculate
the number of rulings per millimeter of a grating that will spread the first order spectrum through an
angle of 20.
A grating has 350 rulings per mm and is illuminated at normal incidence by white light. A spectrum
is formed on a screen 30cm. From the grating if a hole 10mm square is cut in the screen, its inner edge
being 50mm from the central maximum and parallel to it, what range of wavelengths passes through the
hole?
A grating (with 15000 lines per inch) is illuminated by white light. Assuming that white light
consists of wavelength lying between 4000 and 7000, calculate the angular widths of the first and
second order spectra ( Hint: you should not use the formula ( m / (d cos); why?)
A grating has 600 ruling/cm and is 6.0cm wide (a) What is the smallest wavelength interval that can
be resolved in third order at =5000 (b) For this wavelength and this grating can the resolution be
improved. How?
In the 2nd order spectrum of a plane diffraction grating, a certain spectral line appears at an angle of
10, while another line of wavelength 5x10-9 cm greater appears at an angle 3 greater. Find the
wavelengths of the lines and the minimum grating width required to resolve them.
Show that for a transmission grating with one inch ruled space, the resolving power cannot exceed
5x104 at normal incidence for = 5080 .

Tutorial sheet #3 (Polarization)

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At a particular angle the coefficient of intensity reflection of glass plate is 5 percent for vibrations in
the plane of incidence and 10 percent for vibrations perpendicular to the plane of incidence. Calculate
the degree of polarization of a beam passing through a pile consisting of 5 plates. The absorption of light
is negligible.
Consider two crossed Polaroid sheets placed in the path of an unpolarized beam of intensity I . If we
place a third Polaroid sheet in between them, in general, some light will be transmitted through.
Calculate the transmitted intensity and plot it as a function of angle of third plate with the first.
What should be the angular position of the sun above the horizontal so that sunlight reflected from a
calm lake shall be completely linearly polarized. The refractive index of lake water is 1.33.
A glass plate of refractive index 1.52 is submerged in water having refractive index 1.33. Calculate
the polarizing angle for light incident on glass plate.
(a) How will you convert right circularly polarized light into left circularly polarized light?
(b) Sodium yellow light is incident normally on a face of calcite crystal cut parallel to its optics axis.
Compute the ratio of major to minor axis of the E- wavelets. Given 0 = 1.658, = 1.486.
The direction of polarization of a linearly polarized wave is to be rotated through 90 by using two
pieces of Polaroid sheet. Describe how this can be done while obtaining the maximum overall
transmitted intensity.
We have a QW plate of calcite corresponding to 4046 . A left circularly polarized light = 7065
is incident on the plate. Obtain the polarization of the emergent beam. Use the information = 4046 ,
7065 , = 1.68134, 1.65207, E = 1.49694, 1.48359.
Quartz plate has = 1.54 and E = 1.55 for sodium light. What minimum thickness of the quartz
plate between the crossed polarizer and analyzer will produce annulment of the light, while the plate is
cut parallel to optic axis.
(a) A left circularly polarized beam (=5893 ) is incident normally on a calcite crystal ( with its
optic axis cut parallel to the surface ) of thickness 0.0005141mm. Find the state of polarization of the
emergent beam .Given =1.65836 and E =1.48641. (b) Repeat the problem for quartz plate where all
parameters are same except that =1.54425 and E = 1.55356.
A solution of camphor is alcohol in a tube of 200mm is found to give a rotation of 33 of the plane of
vibration of the light passing through it .Calculate the concentration of the solution. Specific rotation of
camphor is = +54.
Two Nicol prisms are so arranged that the amount of light transmitted through them is maximum.
What will be the percentage- reduction in intensity of the incident light when analyzer is rotated through
(I) 30, (II) 45, (III) 60, (IV) 90?
A weighed amount of 14.50gm of impure sucrose is dissolved in water to give 60cc of solution.
When this is placed in a polarimeter tube 15cm long, it rotates the plane of polarization of sodium light
16.8 to the right. Find the fraction of the sample that is not sucrose. For sucrose specific rotation is
66.5.
When a beam of unknown polarization is viewed through a Nicol prism, its intensity varies upon
rotation of the latter but dies not go to zero in any position. A quarter wave plate is inserted in front of
the analyzer when set for a maximum intensity and the fast axis is turned parallel to the plane of
transmission of the analyzer. A clockwise rotation of the analyzer by 60 will then completely extinguish

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the light. (a) What is the type of polarization of the original light? (b) Describe quantitatively the mode
of vibration?
If 20cm length of a certain solution causes right-handed rotation of 42 and 30cm of another solution
causes left handed rotation of 27 what optical rotation will be caused by 30cm length of mixture of the
above solution in the volume ratio 1:2? The solutions are not chemically reactive.
The optical rotation produced by a material is 30 per mm at = 5000 & 50 0 per mm at = 4000.
In the visible region of the spectrum, the rotation is given by = a+b 2 calculate the constants a and b.
Also calculate the least thickness of the material which when interposed between two crossed Nicols
will produce maximum transmission for = 5000.
A 60 quartz prism is cut with its faces parallel to the optic axis. Calculate the angle of minimum
deviations for yellow light for each of the two polarized rays. The refractive index for quartz for the Oray is 1.5422 and for the E-ray is 1.5533. is given as =sin[(A+m)/2]/sin(A/2) where A= angle of the
prism, m= angle of minimum deviation.