Wave Optics 1. Why should two interfering waves superpose at a grazing angle?

When a beam of light is incident almost parallel to a surface, the angle between the surface
and the beam is very small and is called grazing angle. In interference there must be an angular separation between the incident waves so that a path difference exists to form interference patterns. The angle doesnt necessarily is grazing angle. However, in X ray spectroscopy and atomic optics incident rays are kept at grazing angle for obtaining significant reflections.

2. In a double slit diffraction arrangement, what should be the width of each slit to obtain 10 maxima of the double slit pattern within the central maximum of the single slit pattern? [Two slits are made 1mm apart] Single slit 1st minimum (diffraction) Double slit nth maximum (interference) at at

A/Q nth maximum (interference) = 1st minimum (diffraction)

=> =
=> = na =>a + b = na =>a + 1mm = 10a =>9a = 1 mm => a = 1/9 mm slit width 3. A parallel beam of light is incident on a convex lens. Because of diffraction affects, the beam gets focussed to a spot. What is the radius of the spot? Due to diffraction at a circular aperture, a converging lens can never form a point image of a point object but it produces a bright disc called Airy disc surrounded by dark and bright concentric rings. The minimum radius of the image disc is given by

4. Why a telescope should have a large diameter objective? Larger diameter telescope lens/mirrors collect more light & are therefore capable of seeing dimmer objects. This is extremely important because most astronomical objects are very dim & can't be seen with smaller objective lenses/mirrors. In addition to collecting more light, larger objectives are capable of resolving finer detail as well.

5. What do you mean by resolving power? It is its ability to produce separate and distinguishable images of two objects lying very close to each other. R.P. = D / 1.22 , where D = diameter of objective lens, = wavelength of light used. 6. Explain reflection of light on the basis of Huygens theory of light.

7. Explain in brief the method of polarisation by using tourmaline crystal.

8. When light travels from a rarer to a denser medium, the speed decreases. Does the reduction in speed imply a reduction in the energy carried by the light wave? No, because the energy carried by a wave depends on the frequency and amplitude of the wave. It does not depend on the speed of the wave. 9. In the wave picture of light, the intensity of wave is directly proportional to the square of amplitude of the wave. What determines the intensity of light in the photon picture of light? In particle theory of the light (photon picture), the intensity of wave depends on the number of photon striking the given surface in any given time 10. Discuss the intensity of transmitted light when a polaroid sheet is rotated between two crossed polaroids. P6/216

11. Is the speed of light in glass independent of the colour of light? If not, which of the two colours red and violet slower in a glass prism? Refractive index of glass, = 1.5 Speed of light, c = 3 108 m/s Speed of light in glass is given by the relation, v = c / = 2 108 m/s Hence, the speed of light in glass is 2 108 m/s. The speed of light in glass is not independent of the colour of light. The refractive index of a violet component of white light is greater than the refractive index of a red component (Cauchy relation). Hence, the speed of violet light is less than the speed of red light in glass. Hence, violet light travels slower than red light in a glass prism. 12. In a single slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit is made double the original width. How does this affect the size and intensity of the central diffraction band? The angular width of the central diffraction band = 2/a 1/a Therefore, when slit width is doubled; the width of the central band becomes half of the initial value. As the intensity of central maximum a2, if slit width is doubled, the intensity becomes four times. 13. When a tiny circular obstacle is placed in the path of light from a distant source a bright spot is seen at the centre of the shadow of the obstacle. Explain why? The waves which are diffracted from the edge of the circular obstacle interfere constructively at the centre of the shadow of the circular obstacle. Due to this the centre of the spot appears bright. 14. Why is a laser source advantageous in interferometry? A laser source is strictly monochromatic i.e. having only one wavelength. 15. 16. 17.

18. On the basis of Huygens theory, establish snells law of refraction. =>

19. 20. Why are x-rays not diffracted in a narrow linear slit? In double slit diffraction pattern if one of the two slits is masked, what will be the change of diffraction pattern? => 21. In deriving the single slit diffraction pattern it was stated that the intensity is zero at angles of n/a. Justify this by suitably dividing the slit to bring out the cancellation. => Consider that a single slit of width d is divided into n smaller slits. therefore, width of each slit, a/ = a / n Angle of diffraction is given by the relation,

Now, each of these infinitesimally small slit sends zero intensity in direction . Hence, the combination of these slits will give zero intensity.