Today’s Goal

Huygen’s Principle

Interference of Waves
Huygen’s Wave Theory-(1678)
1. Light is a Mechanical Wave (requires a medium)

Q) So, if light requires a medium, how does it travel

from Sun to Earth in vacuum?
Ans: Ether hypothesis → A very dilute & highly
elastic medium is spread anywhere in space
called ether. It is untouchable & undetectable.
2. It explained i)Rectilinear Propagation of Light
ii) Reflection iii)Refraction
iv) Interference v) Diffraction

3. It failed to explain Polarisation & Photo electric

effect
Huygen’s Principle

1) Wavefront:
Wave front is the locus of all points of the
medium which oscillate in same phase
Point Source:

The direction of wave propagation is always

perpendicular to wavefront
Source at ∞ or distant source

Linear Source
Secondary Wavelets:
1. Each point on a Wavefront acts
as a source of new disturbance
called secondary wavelets.

2. These wavelets are spherical and

travels with speed of wave.

3. The secondary wavelets spreads

in all direction.
Huygen’s Construction
A common tangent enveloping secondary
wavelets in the forward direction gives new
wavefront.
So what happens to wavelets
travelling in backward direction
Behaviour of Plane Wavefront on Reflection & Refraction
a) Refraction of plane wavefront by a
prism

b) Refraction of a plane wavefront by a

Convex lens
c) Refraction of a plane wavefront by concave lens

d) Reflection of plane wavefront by a Concave Mirror

Q) What is the shape of the wavefront on earth for sunlight?
Equation of a Travelling Wave
 Interference of Waves-

Superposition Principle:
When two or more waves are travelling in the same
medium then the resultant displacement of a particle is
the vector sum of displacement produced by each wave
Q) Two plane monochromatic waves propagating in the same
direction with amplitudes A and 2 A and differing in phase by
π/3 rad superpose. Calculate the amplitude of the resultant
wave.

a) 𝟑𝑨
b) 𝟓𝑨
𝟑
c) 𝟐
𝑨
d) 𝟕𝑨
Coherent Sources
Intensity Of Wave
Resultant Intensity
Constructive Destructive
Interference Interference
Constructive Destructive
Interference Interference
Constructive Destructive
Interference Interference
Q) Two coherent monochromatic light beams of intensities I
and 4I are superposed. What will be the maximum and
minimum possible intensities?

a) 4I,I
b) 3I,I
c) 9I,I
d) 8I,2I
Q) Waves emitted by two identical sources produces
intensity of K unit at a point on screen where path difference
between these waves is λ,calculate the intensity at that point
on screen at which path difference is λ/4

a) K
b) K/2
c) 2K
d) K/ 𝟐
Important Case
Q) If I1=I2=I & phase difference is 𝝓.Find IR
 Today’s Goal

Young’s Double Slit Experiment

Y.D.S.E – Part 1
Experimental setup
• Condition for bright and dark fringe
Central Bright Fringe
• Location of Bright Fringes (Maximas)
on Screen
• Location of Dark Fringes (Minimas) on
Screen
• Fringe Widht (W)
a) 0.30 mm
b) 3mm
c) 0.24 mm
d) 24 mm
Q) d = 1 mm , D= 1m , λ = 6000 Ao .
rd nd
Find the distance between 3 maxima and 2
maxima on opposite sides of Central Maxima.

a) 5 mm
b) 3 mm
c) 30 mm
d) 50 mm
• Angular Location of Fringes & Angular
Fringe Widths
 Today’s Goal
Young’s Double Slit Experiment
Y.D.S.E – Part 2

Path difference produced by Slab

Shape of Interference Fringes

• What will happen if we use white light for
YDSE
• Resultant Intensity in YDSE
Q) Find Imax & Imin for I1=9I I2=4I
 I𝒎𝒂𝒙
Q) If the ratio of Intensities of two slits is 9:25 Find
𝑰𝒎𝒊𝒏
Intensity And Fringe Width
 I𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟗 . 𝑾𝟏
Q) Find
𝑰𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝟐𝟓 𝑾𝟐
• Resultant Intensity in YDSE with Identical Slits
Intensity Curve in YDSE with identical slits
Conditions for Sustained
Interference
1. Coherent Sources: Sources having constant phase
difference at a given point which does not vary with time.

Why?
Ans: Elsewise at the same spot maxima & minima will occur
frequently such that no distinct bright or dark is seen.
2) Monochromatic Sources of
Light
➢Single Wavelength Light

Why?
Ans: Elsewise, different wavelength will have different
positions for maxima & minima & no distinct fringes can be
seen. The maximas & minimas of different 𝝀 can merge into
each other.
3)Both sources should have same
𝝎or same frequency 𝒇
Why?
Ans: To make coherent sources
we use single source & divide it into two
4) The two sources must have
exactly same(or nearly
same)Intensities I1=I2=I
Why?

Imax= 4I
Ans: ൠ Distinct Interference
Imin=0

By having same slit width

W1=W2=w
5) Distance between two slits should
be very very small as compared to
distance of screen from slits
D>>>d
Why?
𝑫𝝀
Ans: Fringe Width = ⇒ Thick Fringe Width
𝒅
6) Slit width should be very very
small→
Why?
Ans: Else diffraction pattern will form
Number of Bright and Dark Fringes
Q) Find number of bright & dark fringes for
 Path difference
produced by Slab
Optical Path
Fringe Width
Q) In YDSE ,Find the thickness of a glass slab(μ=1.5) which
should be placed before the upper slit S1 so that the central
Maximum now lies a point where 5th Bright Fringe was lying
earlier (before inserting the slab) λ =5000 Å

a) 2.5 μm
b) 0.5 μm
c) 5 μm
d) 10 μm
Q) In YDSE, a thin film (𝝁 = 𝟏. 𝟔) of thickness 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏 𝒎𝒎 is
introduced in the path of one of the two interfering beams.
The central fringe moves to a position occupied by the 𝟏𝟎𝒕𝒉
bright fringe earlier. The wave length of wave is

(a)600 Å
(b)6000 Å
(c)60 Å
(d)660 Å
Number of fringes shifted =
𝒚
𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒅𝒕𝒉
Q) Monochromatic light of wavelength of 600 nm used in
YDSE. If one of the slit is covered with a transparent sheet of
thickness 1.8 x 10-5 m made of a material of refractive index
1.6,how many fringes will be shifted?

(a)16
(b)15
(c)18
(d)20
Shape of Interference
Fringes
Shape of Interference Fringes
1) S1 & S2 are slits
2) S1 and S2 are point Sources
3)
 Today’s Goal

Diffraction
Observation 1:
The bending Of light around corners
of opaque objects and entering into
shadow region is called Diffraction
Observation 2:
The bending Of light around corners
of opaque objects and entering into
shadow region is called Diffraction
Observation 3:
Single Slit Diffraction
Why and How
Location of Dark and Bright Fringes
First Dark (Minima)
Second Dark (Minima)
nth Dark (Minima)
Central Bright (Maxima)
First Bright ( Secondary Maxima)
Second Bright (Maxima)
nth Bright (Maxima)
Fringe Width
Fraunhofer Diffraction
Intensity of Maximas
Intensity v/s 𝜽
Q) Monochromatic light of wavelength 580 nm is incident on
a slit of width 0.30 mm.The screen is 2 m from the slit. The
width of the central maximum is

a) 3.35x 10-3 m
b) 2.25x 10-3 m
c) 6.20x 10-3 m
d) 7.7x 10-3 m
 Interference Diffraction
(Y.D.S.E) (Single slit)
1. Interference of two 1. Interference of
Coherent sources many point sources
from two slits. which are part of
same wavefront on
the same slit.
2. Slit width is very
very small 2. Slit width is greater
than YDSE double
slits.
 Interference Diffraction
(Y.D.S.E) (Single slit)
3. Intensity of all 3. Intensity of successive
maximas are same. All maximas goes on
bright Fringes are decreasing.Brightness of
equally bright. fringes decreases on both
sides of Central bright.
4. All Fringe widths are
equal. 4. Fringe width of central
Bright is Double of other
Fringe widths.
5. More number of
fringes are formed
5. Fringes disappear very soon
after Central Bright.
Today’s Goal

Resolving Power

Polarisation
Resolving Power
Resolving power of an optical instrument is the power
or ability of the instrument to produce distinctly
separate images of two close objects i.e; it is ability of
instrument to resolve or to see as separate images of
two close objects.
Resolving Limit
The minimum distance between two objects that can
be viewed distinctly is called Resolving Limit.

Smaller the Resolving Limit, Greater the Resolving

Power
For microscope:
For telescope:
Q) Assuming human pupil to have a radius of 0.25 cm and a
comfortable viewing distance of 25 cm, the minimum
separation between two objects that human eye can resolve
at 500 nm wavelength is:

a) 100 μm
b) 300 μm
c) 50 μm
d) 25 μm
Polarisation
According to Huygen’s Theory
1) Light is a Mechanical Wave(needs a medium to
travel →ether)
2) Light is a Longitudinal Wave.
Later on, it was discovered that
1. Light is an ElectroMagnetic Wave[Non-Mechanical
Wave] (Do not need a medium)
2. Light is a transverse wave.
The vibrations of Electric &
Magnetic Field are perpendicular
to direction of propagation of wave
in light waves.

𝑬 ⏊𝑩 ⏊ 𝑽 ⇒ 𝑴𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓
Unpolarised Light & Polarised Light
Unpolarised Light: In ordinary light, there is no preferred
direction for 𝑬 & 𝑩 in wave. The waves come in with
𝑬 & 𝑩 in random ⏊ directions.

➢ So an Unpolarised light is one in which vibrations of

Electric Field vectors occurs symmetrically in all
possible planes, perpendicular to the direction of
propagation of wave.
Representation of Unpolarised
Light
Polaroid:
1) Polaroids are long chain of molecules aligned in a
particular direction.

2) Polaroid’s are in the form of sheets.

3) Every Polaroid has pass axis.

Polarised Light
A polarised light is one which contains vibrations of
Electric Field vector only in one plane perpendicular to
direction of wave propagation.
Q) How to distinguish between Polarised Light,Unpolarised
Light & Partially Polarised Light?
Intensity of Polarised Light when it
passes through a Polaroid
1) Angle between Pass Axis of P1 & P2 θ=0o

2) Angle between Pass Axis of P1 & P2 θ=90o

3) Angle between P1 & P2 is θ
Uses of Polaroids
1) Sunglasses to cut glare

2) Windowpanes of Airplane
3) In 3-D movies
Polarisation by Reflection
It is observed that when unpolarised light is reflected
from a surface of a transparent material (as glass) the
reflected light becomes partially plane polarised.

The degree of polarisation depends upon incident

angle
Brewster’s Law
It is observed that when reflected ray is perpendicular
to refracted ray, the reflected ray is polarised with its
electric vector perpendicular to plane of incidence
Q) If refracting index of water is 4/3.
Find polarising/Brewster’s
o
Angle for water-air
a) 37
b) 53o
c) 30o
d) 60o
Q) If critical Angle of glass-air is 45o.Find Brewster’s
/Polarising angle for glass-air.

-1 𝟏
a) sin ( )
𝟐
-1 𝟏
b) tan ( )
𝟐
-1 𝟏
c) sin ( )
𝟑
d) tan-1( 𝟐)