Experiment 2

Fresnel Biprism
Dibyananda Sahoo
192121008

Objectives

To determine the wavelength of sodium vapour lamp by Young’s double slit experiment
(using Fresnel biprism).

Theory

In standard Young’s double slit experiment, two coherent sources are usually obtained from
a single sourcebelow. One way to do this is to use a biprism.

Figure 1

Using a thin biprism, we get two virtual sources. The expression for fringe width β , is
same as in Young’s experiment

λD (1)
β=
d

where,
 λ is the wavelength of light
 D is the separation between the plane of sources and the plane of observation (screen)
 d is the separation between the sources.
In our experiment sources are virtual and the screen is replaced by an eyepiece. The separation
between virtual sources can be made using a convex lens. It is given by

d= √ d1 d 2 (2)
where,
 d1, d2 are the distance between the slits as seen from eyepiece with 2 different position of the lens
as shown below.

Figure 2

Observation

1. Least Count of the scale on the optical bench = 1 mm

2. Least count of the screw gauge for the eye piece= 0.01mm
3. Position of the slit= 1mm
4. Position of the bi-prism=14 mm
5. Position of the eye piece= 878 mm
6. The distance between slit and the eye piece, D= 877 mm
7. Error in D=2 mm

Table 1: Observation of the Fringe Width

Index Left to Right Right to left
i MSR CSR xi β=(xi +10−x i)/10 MSR CSR xi β=( xi +10−x i)/10
(mm) (mm)
(mm) (mm)
0 1.5 46 1.96 0.402 2 8 2.08 0.406
1 2 32 2.32 0.404 2 49 2.49 0.402
2 2.5 26 2.76 0.3805 2.5 42 2.92 0.4
3 3 10 3.1 0.397 3 1 3.01 0.431
 4 3.5 8 3.58 0.3995 3.5 35 3.85 0.385
5 4 6 4.06 0.3515 4 24 4.24 0.387
6 4 43 4.43 0.365 4.5 13 4.63 0.394
7 4.5 34 4.84 0.3745 5 1 5.01 0.39
8 5 16 5.16 5 42 5.42
9 5.5 9 5.59 5.5 26 5.76
10 5.5 48 5.98 6 14 6.14
11 6 36 6.36 6.5 1 6.51
12 6.5 6.5 6.565 6.5 42 6.92
13 7 7 7.07 7 32 7.32
14 7.5 7.5 7.575 7.5 20 7.7
15 7.5 7.5 7.575 8 11 8.11
16 8 8 8.08 8.5 7 8.57
17 8.5 8.5 8.585 8.5 41 8.91

Table 2: Observation Position of the Slit 2

for d 1XPosition of the
Slit 1
MSR CSR s1 MSR CSR s2 d 1=s1 −s 2
(mm) (mm)
(mm) (mm)
3 10 3.1 6 6 6.06 2.96
3 7 3.07 6 7 6.07 3
3 6 3.06 6 4 6.04 2.98
3 7 3.07 6 9 6.09 3.02

Table 3: Observation Position of the Slit 2

for d 2XPosition of the
Slit 1
MSR CSR s1 MSR (mm) CSR s2 d 2=s 1−s 2
(mm)
(mm) (mm)
6 9 6.09 6.5 12 6.62 0.53
6 8 6.08 6.5 6 6.56 0.48
6 3 6.03 6.5 3 6.53 0.5
6 11 6.11 6.5 12 6.62 0.51
Calculation

 ,
average fringe-width, β=0.3918 mm.
standard deviation, σ b=0.018 mm.
∆ β=0.0045 mm
β=0.392 ± 0.005 mm.

Similarly,

 FromTable 2,
d 1=2.99 ± 0.01 mm.

 From Table 3,
d 2=0.505± 0.01 mm.

 From (2),
d=1.23± 0.03 mm(2)

 From (1),
λ=560 ±20 nm

Conclusion

The wavelength of the sodium vapour lamp is found to be λ=560 ±20 nm .

Sources of Error

 Least count of the instrument.

 Human eye judgment of the fringe width.
 Human eye judgment of obtaining the sharp image of the slit.
 Unalignment of instrument on optical bench.