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Wave Optics Part-2
Wave Optics Part-2
Wave Optics –
Part-2
Contents-
Thin film
Interference
Newton’ s Ring
Experiment
-Introduction
-Formation of Newton’s
Ring
-Experiment Set Up
-Theory
-Diameter of Dark/Bright
Ring Dr Sangeeta Kapoor
Professor
-Applications of Newton’s
Ring Experiment Depatment of Physics, LNCT Group, Bhopal (MP)
Interference by division of amplitude
/thin film interference-1
3
üA film is said to be thin when its thickness is about the order of one wavelength of visible light
which is taken to be 550 nm.
üWhen light is incident on such a film, a small portion gets reflected from the upper surface
and a major portion is transmitted into the film. Again a small part of the transmitted
component is reflected back into the film by the lower surface and the rest of it emerges out of
the film.
üThese reflected beams reunite to produce interference. Also the transmitted beams too
interfere. This type of interference that takes place in thin films is called interference by
division of amplitude.
üThus we have coherent beams produced by division of amplitude. These beams travel
different paths and are finally brought together to produce interference.
Types of thin film-
1. Plane parallel 2. Wedge shaped or variable thickness
.
Dr S Kapoor, LNCT Bhopal
Interference by division of amplitude
/thin film interference-2
Path Difference between the interfering wave
4
.
α is wedge angle
Dr S Kapoor, LNCT Bhopal
5
Formation of fringes
Newton’s Ring
Experiment When a Plano-convex lens with large radius of curvature is placed
on a plane glass plate such that its curved surface faces the glass
Overview
plate, a wedge air film (of gradually increasing thickness) is
Newton’s Ring Experiment formed between the lens and the glass plate. The thickness of the
is an example of thin film air film is zero at the point of contact and gradually increases
interference in wedge away from the point of contact.
shaped thin film
In this experiment we will If monochromatic light is allowed to fall normally on the lens
learn about thin film from a source 'S', then two reflected rays R1 (reflected from upper
interference using a system of surface of the film) and R2 (reflected from lower surface of the air
lenses to produce concentric film) interfere to produce circular interference pattern. This
bright and dark interference
fringes on a white screen interference pattern has concentric alternate bright and dark
rings around the point of contact.
The thin film in this case is
provided by an air gap
between a glass plate and a
plan convex lens.
The separation of the fringes
will be used to determine the
radius of curvature of the lens
and the wavelength of the
incident light.
Dr S Kapoor, LNCT Bhopal
Newton’s Ring Experiment
6
Experimental Set Up-
Ø The optical arrangement for Newton’s ring is shown in fig. Light from a monochromatic source (sodium
lamp) is allowed to fall on the convex lens through a broad slit which renders it into a nearly parallel beam.
Ø Now it falls on a glass plate inclined at an angle 45° to the vertical, thus the parallel beam is reflected from
the lower surface.
Ø Due to the air film formed by a glass plate and a Plano-convex lens of large radius of curvature,
interference fringes are formed which are observed directly through a travelling microscope. The rings are
concentric circles.
Dr S Kapoor, LNCT Bhopal
Newton’s Ring Experiment
7
Diameter of Dark/Bright Ring-
To calculate the diameter of fringes, assume a Plano-convex lens is placed on a plane glass plate as shown
in figure say R be the radius of curvature of lens. In ΔO’ML.
(O’L)2=(O’M)2+(ML)2
R2=(R-t)2+(rn)2
R2=R2-2Rt+t2+rn2
AS t<<<R,
rn2=2Rt……(i)
2t=rn2 /R….(ii)
Diameter of nth Dark Ring
Dn2=4n λ R…..(v)
Diameter of nth Bright Ring
Dn2= 2 (2n-1) λ R…(vi)
Diameter of nth Dark Ring if μ≠1
Dn2=4n λ R/μ
Dr S Kapoor, LNCT Bhopal
Applications of Newton’s Ring Experiment
8
Dr S Kapoor, LNCT Bhopal
Applications of Newton’s Ring Experiment
9
Dr S Kapoor, LNCT Bhopal
Newton’s Ring Experiment
10
Queries………..
Q.1 Why is Newton's Ring circular?
Ans-The path difference between the reflected ray and incident ray depends upon the thickness of the air
gap between lens and the base. As the lens is symmetric along its axis, the thickness is constant along the
circumference of a ring of a given radius. Hence, Newton's rings are circular.
Q.2 Why is the glass plate inclined at 45 degrees?
Ans-The angle between the incoming ray and the glass plate is 45 degree to make turns the light rays to
90 degrees and that's why the rays fall normally on the Plano-convex lens.
Q.3 Are all rings Equispaced?
Ans:-No. Rings get closer as the order increases (m increases) since the diameter does not i increase in the
same proportion.
Q.4 Why sodium light is monochromatic?
Ans-Sodium light has two wavelengths yet it is monochromatic because the distance between these
two wavelengths is only 0.6 nm.
Q.5 Why the centre of ring is dark ?
The centre of the ring dark in Newton's Rings experiment with reflected light is dark because at the
point of contact the path difference is zero but one of the interfering ray is reflected so the effective path
difference becomes λ/2 thus the condition of minimum intensity is created hence centre of ring pattern is
dark.
Dr S Kapoor, LNCT Bhopal