Module 2
Model Questions
1. A soap bubble when viewed in white light shows colours. Derive the necessary
theory and explain the conditions for coloured films. An air wedge is formed using
two glass plates of length 100 mm, separated at one end by a wire of diameter 0.05
mm. What will be the bandwidth of fringes, if the wedge is viewed in sodium light?
2. Using theory of thin films, deduce the expression for path difference for darkness in
a reflected system. What are antireflection coatings? Explain its working and obtain
an expression for its thickness. A glass microscope lens (refractive index 1.5) is
coated with magnesium fluoride of refractive index 1.35 to increase the
transmission of normally incident light of wavelength 587 nm. What minimum film
thickness should be deposited on the lens?
3. Oil slick on water forms a thin film. Discuss the theory of formation of interference
bands with the film under reflected system. An air film is enclosed between two
glass plates touching at one edge and separated by a wire of 0.05 mm diameter at a
distance of 0.25 m from the edge. Calculate the fringe width if a light of
wavelength 650 nm is allowed to fall normally on the film.
4. On a rainy day, thin film of oil on wet road shows vibrant colours. Derive the
necessary conditions to explain the colour of thin films. A soap film of 550 nm
thickness is viewed at an angle of 38 degrees to the normal. Find the wavelengths
which will be absent for first three orders from the reflected system. Given the
refractive index of the film is 1.33.
5. Due to oil spill from a petroleum tanker ship, the ocean surface appears coloured.
Derive the necessary theory and explain the rainbow-like patterns seen on ocean
surface. An air wedge is formed using two glass plates of length 80mm separated at
one end by a wire of diameter 0.040 mm. What will be the bandwidth of the fringes
if the wedge is viewed in sodium light?
6. What is an air wedge? Describe the method of finding the diameter of a wire using
air wedge arrangement and derive expressions for diameter as well as bandwidth.
A parallel beam of sodium light of wavelength 589 nm strikes a film of oil floating
on water. When viewed at an angle of 40 degrees from the normal, 8th dark band is
seen. Determine the thickness of the film if refractive index of oil is 1.46.
7. In a high-precision laboratory, you are tasked with measuring the diameter of a very
fine wire used in optical sensors. The air wedge method is chosen for this
measurement. Derive the theory behind the air wedge phenomenon and outline the
procedure for determining the diameter of the wire using this technique with
appropriate figures. Include the steps for setting up the apparatus, how to interpret
the interference fringes, and the formula used to calculate the wire's diameter.
Discuss the advantages of using the air wedge method in this context compared to
other measurement techniques.
8. A strand of hair is placed between two glass plates at one end their other ends are in
contact with each other. Explain the experimental set up and obtain the necessary
theory required to find the diameter of the hair using interference.
A parallel beam of light strikes an oil film (refractive index 1.4) floating on a
surface of water. When viewed at an angle of 30 degrees from the normal, 6th dark
fringe is seen. Find the thickness of the film. (Given the wavelength of the light
used is 583 nm)
9. With necessary diagrams and theory, explain the experimental determination of
wavelength of a monochromatic light using air wedge. Write down the conditions
for darkness and brightness due to interference in thin films.
A soap film of 550 nm thickness is viewed at an angle of 30 degrees to the normal.
Find the wavelengths which will be absent for first three orders from the reflected
system. Given the refractive index of the film is 1.33.
10. A strand of hair is placed between two glass plates at one end and their other ends
are in contact with each other 12 cm away from the hair. Explain the experimental
setup and obtain the necessary theory required to find the diameter of the hair using
interference. What is the diameter of the hair if there are 20 fringes in 1 cm of
interference pattern when illuminated with a light of wavelength 540 nm.
11. What is a transmission grating? Give the theory of plane transmission grating. How
can it be used to find the wavelength of a monochromatic light? How will the
diffraction pattern changes with increasing number of lines on a grating?
Differentiate between Fresnel and Fraunhoffer classes of diffraction.
12. A diffraction grating is used in a spectrometer to analyse the spectral composition
of light. Explain the construction and working of a grating and derive Grating
equation. Calculate the minimum number of lines in a grating to resolve two lines
0.02 nm apart near 580 nm in the second order. Also calculate the grating element if
the grating is 1.5 cm long.
13. Derive the Grating Equation with necessary theory. Describe an experiment to find
the unknown wavelength of a source using grating. A diffraction grating used at
normal incidence and is found that the image at 30 degrees consist of an orange line
of wavelength 640 nm of nth order spectrum superimposed on a green line of
wavelength 550 nm of the order (n+1). Find the grating element.
14. Define grating element? Obtain the grating equation with necessary theory. What is
the effect of increasing the number of lines on the grating?
A plane transmission grating is having 4000 lines/cm. Find the angular separation
between two wavelengths 540 nm and 546 nm in the third order.
15. Discuss the theory of plane transmission grating and obtain grating equation. How
will the diffraction pattern changes with wavelength of the incident wave? A plane
transmission grating just resolves 2 lines in the second order near 650 nm.
Calculate the grating element if the difference in wavelengths is 0.2 nm and width
of the grating is 2.5 cm.
16. In a spectrometer, a diffraction grating is used to analyse the spectral composition
of light. What is spectral resolution? State and explain Rayleigh's criterion for
spectral resolution. How will the grating's resolving power affect the measurement
of closely spaced spectral lines? Calculate the minimum number of lines in a
grating to resolve two lines 0.02 nm apart near 580 nm in the second order. Also
calculate the grating element if the grating is 3 cm long.
17. What is Resolving power? Write Rayleigh’s criterion for spectral resolution.
Differentiate between interference and diffraction. A diffraction grating is used at
normal incidence and found that the image at 30 degrees consist of an orange line
of wavelength 630 nm of nth order spectrum superimposed on a green line of
wavelength 540 nm of the order (n+1). Calculate the grating element?
18. Sodium doublet lines at 589 nm and 589.6 nm are used to test the resolving power
of a grating. Define Resolving power of a grating. If a grating with resolving power
5000 is used, can it resolve the sodium doublet lines? What is Rayleigh’s criterion
for spectral resolution? How do line intensity or grating size affect resolving
power? Differentiate between Fresnel and Fraunhoffer classes of diffraction.
19. Explain the Rayleigh’s criterion for spectral resolution. What is Resolving power of
a grating? Differentiate between interference and diffraction.
A plane transmission grating is having 5000 lines/cm. Find the angular separation
between two wavelengths 545 nm and 550 nm in the third order.
20. State and explain Rayleigh’s criterion for spectral resolution and Resolving power
of an optical instrument. How interference differs from the diffraction of light?
A plane transmission grating just resolves 2 lines in the second order. Calculate the
grating element if the difference in wavelengths is 0.2 nm, wavelength is 650nm
and width of the grating is 3 cm.