WAVE OPTICS

MARKSMAN IN PHYSICS / CBSE PHYSICS

 INTERFERENCE

WAVEFRONT
HUYGHEN’S PRINCIPLE
COHERENT SOURCES
INTERFERENCE
YOUNG’S DOUBLE SLIT EXPERIMENT
CONDITIONS FOR CONSTRUCTIVE AND DISTRUCTIVE INTERFRENCE
FRINGE WIDTH
CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINED INTERFERENCE

(i) The light should be monochromatic. If this is not so, the fringes of different colours overlap.
(ii) The two sources producing interference must be coherent.
(iii) The wave trains causing interference must have light waves of the same wavelength and be travelling with
the same velocity.
(iv) Path difference should be small.
REFLECTION ON THE BASIS OF WAVE THEORY OF LIGHT
REFRACTION ON THE BASIS OF WAVE THEORY OF LIGHT
Q.1 Laser light of wavelength 630nm incident on a pair of slits produces an interference pattern in which the bright
fringes are separated by 7.2mm. Calculate the wavelength of another source of light which produces interference fringes
separated by 8.1mm using same arrangement. (CBSE 2012 C)
Q.2 A beam of light consisting of two wavelengths, 800 nm and 600 nm is used to obtain the interference fringes in a
Young’s double silt experiment on a screen placed 1.4 m away. If the two slits are separated by 0.28 mm, calculate the least
distance from the central bright maximum where the bright fringes of the two wavelengths coincide. [CBSE 2012]

Sol: - 𝜆1 = 800 × 10−9 m, 𝜆2 = 600 × 10−9 m

D = 1.4 m, d = 0.28 × 10−3 m
𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ
Let 𝑛1 maximum corresponding to 𝜆1 coincide with 𝑛2 maximum corresponding to 𝜆2.
𝐷𝜆1 𝐷𝜆2
Then 𝑛1 = 𝑛2
𝑑 𝑑
𝑛1 𝜆2 600 3
Or = = =
𝑛2 𝜆1 800 4

The minimum integral value of 𝑛1 is 3 and that of 𝑛2

𝐷𝜆 3×1.4×800× 10−9
∴ 𝑦𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝑛1 1 = m
𝑑 0.28×10−3

= 12 mm
Q3 In Young’s double slit experiment, the two slits o.15 mm apart are illuminated by monochromatic light of wavelength
450 nm. The screen is 1.0 m away from the slits.

(a) Find the distance of the second (i) bright fringe, (ii) dark fringe from the central maximum.

(b) How will the fringe pattern change if the screen is moved away from the slits? [ CBSE 2010 SET I]

Sol: - d = 0.15× 10−3 m, λ = 450 × 10−9 m,

D = 1.0 m

𝑛𝐷𝜆 2×10×450×10−9
(a) (i) Distance of nth bright fringe from central maximum = = m
𝑑 0.15×10−3

= 6× 10−3 m = 6 mm

𝐷𝜆
= (2n – 1) =
2𝑑

10×450×10−9
= (2×2-1) × m
2×0.15×10−3

= 4.5× 10−3 m = 4.5 mm

𝐷𝜆
(b) Fringe width, β =
𝑑
Q 4 In a two slit experiment with monochromatic light, fringes are obtained on a screen placed at some distance from the
slits. If the screen is moved by 5× 𝟏𝟎−𝟐 m towards the slits, the change in fringe width is 3× 𝟏𝟎−𝟓 m If the distance
between the slits is 𝟏𝟎−𝟑 m, calculate the wavelength of light used. [ CBSE 2006 S, Roorkee 1992; PSED 2005 (similar)]

𝜆 𝜆
Sol: - 𝛽 D, ∆𝛽 = ∆D
𝑑 𝑑

∆𝛽
Or λ = d
∆𝐷

3×10−5
= 10−3 m = 6× 10−7 m
5×10−2

= 6× 10−7 × 1010 A = 6000 A

Q5 In Young’s doubles slit experiment, monochromatic light of wavelength 630 nm illuminates the pair of slits and
produces an interference pattern in which two consecutive bright fringes are separated by 8.1 mm. Another source of
monochromatic light produces the interference pattern inn which the two consecutive bright fringes are separated by 7.2
mm Find the wavelength of light from the second source.

What is the effect on the interference fringes if the monochromatic source is replaced by a source of white light?
𝑛𝜆𝐷
Sol: - Position of the nth bright fringe is given by from the central bright fringes. The separation between two
𝑑
𝜆𝐷
consecutive bright fringes is .
𝑑

𝜆𝐷
With 𝜆1, = 630 nm, we have .
𝑑

𝜆2 𝐷
With 𝜆2 , = 7.2 mm
𝑑

𝜆1 8.1
Dividing, we get =
𝜆2 7.2

8.1 8
𝜆2 = × 𝜆1 = × 630 = 560 nm.
7.2 9

When the monochromatic light is replaced by a white light,

(i) the central bright remains white and

DIFFRACTION OF LIGHT
SINGLE SLIT EXPERIMENT
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERFERENCE AND DIFFRACTION
Q6. Two slits are made 1 millimetre apart and the screen is placed one metre away. What is the fringe separation when
blue-green light of wavelength 500 nm is used? What should the width of each slit be to obtain 10 maxima of the double
slit pattern within the central maximum of the s8ingle slit pattern? [NCERT Solved Example]
𝐷𝜆 1×5×10−7
Sol: - Fringe spacing = = m
𝑑 1×10−3

= 5× 10−4 m = 0.5 mm

Let a represent the width of slit.

2𝐷𝜆
With of central maximum =
𝑎

10𝐷𝜆
Width of 10 maxima =
𝑑

Where d is separation between slits.

10𝐷𝜆 2𝐷𝜆
Now, =
𝑑 𝑎

𝜆 𝜆 𝑑
10 = 2 , 𝑎 = = 0.2 mm
𝑎 𝑎 5

Notice that the wavelength of light and distance of the screen do not enter in the calculation of
a.
Q 7. A slit of width ‘a’ is illuminated by a monochromatic light of wavelength 700 nm at normal incidence. Calculate the
value of ‘a’ for position of

(a) first minimum at an angle of diffraction of 30°

(b) first maximum at an angle of diffraction of 30° [CBSE 2009, 2007 S]

Fresnel distance , Ray optics is a limiting case of wave optics

Fresnel distance is that distance from the slit at which the spreading of light due to diffraction becomes equal to the size of the
slit . Fresnel distance may also be defined as the minimum distance a beam of light can travel before its deviation from straight
line path becomes significant . It is generally denoted by DF or ZF .

First secondary minimum is formed at an angle θ1 such that ,

θ1 = 𝜆
𝑎

𝜆𝐷
After travelling a distance D , the width acquired by the beam due to diffraction is .
𝑎

𝐷𝐹 𝜆
At Fresnel distance DF , = a or
𝑎

DFλ = a2 .

If the distance D between the slit and the screen is less than Fresnel distance D F , then the diffraction effects may be regarded as
absent .So , ray optics may be regarded as a limiting case of wave optics .