Tutorial questions – Chapter 10
10.1 DIFFRACTION
1. What is meant by diffraction?
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2. Why does diffraction only happen with small objects?
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3. Describe the image produced when the wavelength of the light is
(a) larger than the dimensions of the object.
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(b) smaller than the dimensions of the object.
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(c) of the same order as the dimensions of the object.
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10.2 POLARISATION
1. What is meant by unpolarised light?
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2. (a) Describe polarised light.
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(b) Describe partially polarised light.
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2014 Geometric and Physical Optics
Tutorial questions – Chapter 10
3. If the electric field vector is only in the vertical plane, the light is vertically / horizontally
polarised.
4. Why does this phenomenon support the idea that light is a transverse wave?
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5. Name four methods by which linearly polarised light can be produced.
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10.3 POLARISATION BY SELECTIVE ABSORPTION
1. What is meant by dichroic material?
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2. Why are the polarising sheets stretched?
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3. What is the role of iodine in the preparation of Polaroid?
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4. What is meant by transmission axis?
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2014 Geometric and Physical Optics
Tutorial questions – Chapter 10
5. Light with its electric field parallel / perpendicular to the transmission axis and
parallel / perpendicular to the molecular chains will be absorbed.
6. Light with its electric field parallel / perpendicular to the transmission axis and
parallel / perpendicular to the molecular chains will be transmitted.
7. When unpolarised light passes through a single polariser, the luminous intensity changes
by a factor of ________ .
8.(a) The transmission axis of an analyzer is held at 30° to the transmission axis of a
polariser. What percentage of the incident light is transmitted?
(b) Light with an initial luminous intensity of 74 cd passes through a polariser and an
analyzer in sequence. The intensity of the light transmitted through the analyzer is 20% of
the incident intensity. Determine the angle between the transmission axes of the 2
polarising materials.
10.4 POLARISATION BY REFLECTION
1. Supply one of these terms to complete the following statements:
unpolarised; polarised; partially polarised
(a) When light is incident on the surface along the normal, the reflected light is
______________________.
(b) When light is incident so that the reflected light is perpendicular to the refracted
light, the refracted light is ______________________.
(c) When light is incident on the surface perpendicular to the normal, the reflected light
is ______________________.
(d) When light is incident so that the reflected light is perpendicular to the refracted
light, the reflected light is ______________________.
2. Light reflected off the surface of a lake is horizontally / vertically polarised.
3. Light reflected off the windows of a skyscraper is horizontally / vertically polarised.
4. (a) Calculate Brewster’s angle for Crown glass.
(b) Determine the angle between the incident ray and the reflected ray.
(c) Determine the angle between the incident ray and the refracted ray.
2014 Geometric and Physical Optics
Tutorial questions – Chapter 10
5. Light reflected from a piece of glass with an angle of reflection of 65° is completely
polarised. Calculate the refractive index for this glass.
3. Is the polarising angle for UV light incident on a CR-39 surface the same as the
polarising angle for red light incident on the surface? Explain your answer.
4. At the beach you are bothered by the glare reflected from the smooth water surface.
You decide to use your new pair of sunglasses with Polaroid lenses.
(a) Why should the transmission axis of the lens be vertical?
(b) At what angle is the sun above the horizon when the sunglasses are most effective?
10.5 POLARISATION BY DOUBLE REFRACTION
1. What is meant by birefringent material?
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2. Compare the E rays to the O rays in Calcite.
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3. What is meant by the optic axis of a birefringent material?
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4. Why are two images seen if an object is viewed through a birefringent material?
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5. Describe the relationship between the optic axis and the value of ne.
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6. What is meant by photoelasticity?
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2014 Geometric and Physical Optics
Tutorial questions – Chapter 10
7. How is photoelasticity useful for performing stress analyses of objects? (Appropriate for
plastic lenses.)
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10.6 POLARISATION BY SCATTERING
1. Compare scattering to dispersion of light.
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2. Which light is scattered more by the atmosphere, indigo or orange?
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3. Which light is scattered more by clouds, red or blue?
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2014 Geometric and Physical Optics