Mechanical Vibration Acoustics Mechanics

Ultrasonic diffraction at different multiple slit systems 1.5.16-15

What you can learn about

 Longitudinal waves
 Huygens principle
 Interference
 Fraunhofer and Fresnel
diffraction

Principle:
An ultrasonic plane wave is subject-
ed to diffraction at various multiple
slits. The intensity of the diffracted
and interfering partial waves are au-
tomatically recorded using a motor-
driven, swivel ultrasound detector
and a PC.

What you need:

Goniometer with reflecting mirror 13903.00 1
Power supply for goniometer 13903.99 1
Ultrasonic unit 13900.00 1
Power supply f. ultrasonic unit, 5 VDC, 12 W 13900.99 1
Ultrasonic transmitter on stem 13901.00 1
Ultrasonic receiver on stem 13902.00 1
Object holder for ultrasonic 13904.00 1
Diffraction objects for ultrasonic 13905.00 1
RS 232 data cable 14602.00 1
Measuring tape, l = 2m 09936.00 1
Vernier calliper 03010.00 1
Screened cable, BNC, l = 75 cm 07542.11 1
Adapter, BNC-socket/4 mm plug pair 07542.27 1
Measure Software Goniometer 14523.61 1
PC, Windows 95 or higher The angular distribution of the intensity of a plane ultrasonic wave diffract-
ed by a fourfold slit.
Complete Equipment Set, Manual on CD-ROM included
Ultrasonic diffraction at different multiple
slit systems P2151615 Tasks:
1. Determine the angular distribu-
tion of a plane ultrasonic wave
diffracted by various multiple slits.
2. Determine the angular positions
of the maximum and mininum
values and compare them with the
theoretical values.

PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG D - 37070 Gttingen Laboratory Experiments Physics 73
 LEP
Ultrasonic diffraction at different multiple slit systems 1.5.16
-15

Related topics Set-up and Procedure

Longitudinal waves, Huygens principle, Interference, Set up the experiment as shown in Fig. 1. It is important to
Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction. exactly adjust this set-up.

Principle Adjustment of the goniometer

An ultrasonic plane wave is subjected to diffraction at various Use the adjusting screws at the back of the mirror and
multiple slits. The intensity of the diffracted and interfering under its stem to set the mirror by eye to a vertical position
partial waves are automatically recorded using a motor-driven, and align it to the zero line of the goniometer table.
swivel ultrasound detector and a PC. Slide the transmitter tightly against the mirror and align it
to the height of the centre of the mirror.
Equipment Slide the transmitter back to fit the 16 cm long adjusting
rod in the hole in the centre of the mirror. The rod must now
Goniometer with reflecting mirror 13903.00 1
point directly to the middle of the transmitter. Should this
Power supply for goniometer 13903.99 1
not be the case, again use the adjusting screws to re-
Ultrasonic unit 13900.00 1
adjust the mirror. Remove the rod so that the transmitter
Power supply f. ultrasonic unit, 5 VDC, 12 W 13900.99 1
can be brought to the focal point of the mirror. The dis-
Ultrasonic transmitter on stem 13901.00 1
tance from the centre of the mirror must be exactly
Ultrasonic receiver on stem 13902.00 1
15.5 cm (measuring tape).
Object holder for ultrasonic 13904.00 1
To adjust the height of the receiver, turn it with its swing
Diffraction objects for ultrasonic 13905.00 1
arm as near as possible to the mirror. It might be neces-
RS 232 data cable 14602.00 1
sary here to first unlock the transport stop (to do this, pull
Measuring tape, l = 2m 09936.00 1
the yellow screw of the swing arm beneath the goniometer
Vernier calliper 03010.00 1
table). Bring the receiver to the same height as the trans-
Screened cable, BNC, l = 75 cm 07542.11 1
mitter.
Adapter, BNC-socket/4 mm plug pair 07542.27 1
Set the receiver swing arm to zero. The axis of the receiv-
Measure Software Goniometer 14523.61 1
er must correspond with the goniometer zero line.
PC, Windows 95 or higher
Bring the receiver to the end of the swing arm.
When adjustment is properly made, the axes of the mirror,
transmitter and receiver must be on a common line which
Task must be exactly above the zero line of the goniometer
1. Determine the angular distribution of a plane ultrasonic table.
wave diffracted by various multiple slits. Fit the object holder with its centering pin in the central
2. Determine the angular positions of the maximum and min- socket of the goniometer table, with the feet of the holder
imum values and compare them with the theoretical pointing to the mirror. Position the holder on the 90 line on
results. the goniometer table.

Fig. 1: Experimental set-up.

PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen 21516-15 1
 LEP
1.5.16 Ultrasonic diffraction at different multiple slit systems
-15

Connection of instruments uneven multiple of l/2. The bundle pairs S1/S2 and S3/S4 there-
Connect the transmitter to the diode socket of the ultrasonic fore give intensity distribution minima at:
unit that is marked TR1, and operate it in Con continuous
mode. Connect the receiver to the left BNC socket (prior to the 2k  1 l
sin wmin
; k = 0, 1, 2, 3,.... (1)
amplifier). Further, use the BNC cable to connect the analog 2 s
output of the ultrasonic unit with the input of the control unit
(pay attention to the polarity of the adapter), and the latter unit The partial bundle pairs S1/S3 and S2/S4 now also interfere with
to the PC by means of the RS 232 data cable. each other.
For control of the goniometer, connect the socket underneath These bundles have the path difference 2s sinw. Accordingly,
the goniometer plate with the control unit. acc. to equation (2), additional minima occur which modulate
With the Cal key of the control unit pressed (release of the the 2nd class maxima of the double slit.
motor drive) position the swing arm at 0. Following this,
deactivate the Cal function. 2k  1 l
sin wmin
; k = 0, 1, 2, 3,.... (2)
Use the software to set the range of swing of the receiver to 4 s
50.
To ensure proportionality between the input signal of the When the diffracting object has N slits, then the following is
receiver and its analog output signal, avoid operating the valid for the diffraction intensity of the alternating sound pres-
ultrasonic unit amplifier in the saturation range. Should such a sure p(w) of the complete grating:
case occur and the OVL diode light up, reduce either the
transmitter amplitude or the input amplification of the receiv-
sin a sin w b sin a sin w b
pb Np s
er. It is purposeful here to adjust the amplification at the zero
l l
position of the receiver so that the OVL diode just no longer p1w 2 r (3)
pb
sin a sin w b
lights up. ps
sin w
l l
Use the vernier calliper to measure the slit width b and the
grating constant s of the appropriate grating, then ease this The 1st quotient in equation (3) describes the intensity distrib-
into the guide grooves of the object holder. Pay attention here ution of the single slit, the 2nd quotient represents the inter-
that the grating is exactly centrally symmetrical to the zero line action of all slits. The minima of the single slit (1st class mini-
of the goniometer table. Various multiple slits are to be ma) always remain as they are, whereas the 1st class maxima
realised (see Fig. 3). To achieve this, cover the slits that are not are modulated by additional minima from the influence of the
required with magnetic foil. To show the increase in the main 2nd quotient.
maxima with increasing number of slits N, it is purposeful to With a diffraction object having N slits, there are (N-1) minima
start with the multiple slits having the largest N and thereafter, and (N-2) secondary maxima between two neighbouring main
for the following slits, not to change the emitting performance maxima. Whereas all N slits contribute to the intensity of the
of the transmiter nor the receiver amplification. main maxima, with the secondary maxima there are only few
To avoid interfering sound reflections between the object whose bundles of beams do not destructively interfere with
holder and mirror, use the carrier foam as wave absorbent. those from other slits.
Place it tightly against the object holder, with its opening sym-
metrically towards the multiple slits.

Note:
Faulty intensity modulation may occur in spectra as a result of
interference in the measurement field. To keep such interfer-
ence as small as possible, do not carry out experiments in too
narrow rooms or in the direct vicinity of reflecting surfaces
(walls, cupboards etc.). It is recommended that the measuring
and supply instruments be installed behind the mirror if possi-
ble. Further to this, the person carrying out the experiment
should not stand too close to the measurement field.
Should asymmetries occur in the intensities in spectra, these
can as a rule be avoided by slightly turning the object holder
around the 90 line on the goniometer table.

Theory and Evaluation

Fig. 2 shows schematically the diffraction behaviour of a plane
ultrasonic wave at a fourfold slit. The width of the individual
slits is b and the grating constant s (distance between homol-
ogous beams from neighbouring slits).
For one thing, the partial bundle pairs S1/S2 and S3/S4 interfere
with each other, and give the interference pattern of the alter-
nating sound pressure of a double slit. The homologous
beams interfere destructively, when their path difference is an Fig. 2: Diagram showing diffraction at multiple slits

2 21516-15 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen
 LEP
Ultrasonic diffraction at different multiple slit systems 1.5.16
-15

With N slits, the position of the (N-1) secondary minima is

given by:

n l
sin w
where n = 0, 1, 2, 3,.... (4)
N s

Equation (4) is true with the exception that, when n = k N

(k = 0, 1, 2, 3,....), then the dominating main maxima lie at this
position.
Theoretically, I r N is valid for the intensity I of the main
maxima.
Figs. 3a - 3e show the interference patterns of the alternating
sound pressure of a plane ultrasonic wave that is diffracted at
multiple slits (N = 2...N = 6).
With increasing numbers of slits N, the main maxima become
increasingly narrower and more intensive, whereas the number
of secondary maxima with (N-2) increases and their intensity
becomes less and less. The number of minima is (N-1).

Fig. 3: Interference patterns of ultrasonic waves refracted at multiple slits of N = 2...N = 6 with a grating constant of s =
18.5 mm.

PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen 21516-15 3
 LEP
1.5.16 Ultrasonic diffraction at different multiple slit systems
-15

In Table 1, N = 4 and N = 5 multiple slits have been taken as
examples to compare the positions of the minima found in
Fig. 3 with the corresponding theoretical angle values calcu-
lated using equation (4).
The central maximum does not generally lie exactly at 0, it is
therefore purposeful to determine the angular distance 2w
between two minima lying symmetrically to the zero line from
the measurement curves.
The knowledge of the wavelength l required in equation (4)
can be obtained from the sender frequency of the transmitter,
which is 40 kH. With c = f l (c = 343.4 ms-1 at T = 20C), the
value for the wavelength is found to be: l = 0.858 cm.
The position of the 1st minimum of a single slit is given by:
sin w = l/b. As the slit width was b = 12.5 mm, the 1st mini-
mum of the single slit lies at an angle of w = 43.4.

Table 1: The angles of minima and the 1st main maximum with
multiple slits having N = 4 and N = 5 and a grating
constant s = 18.5 mm, as well as of the 1st minimum
for a single slit of b = 12.5 mm.

N=4 N=5
n w (exp.)/ w (theor.)/ w (exp.)/ w(theor.)/

1 6.6 6.7 5.6 5.3

2 13.5 13.4 10.5 10.7
3 20.5 20.4 16.4 16.2
4 25.5; 1st main 27.6 21.9 21.8
maximum
5 35.5 35.4 26.7; 1st main 27.6
maximum
6 42.2/ 1st 44.1 33.9 33.8
minimum slit /43.4
7 44.6/ 1st 40.5
minimum slit /43.4

4 21516-15 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen