Muhammad Ahmad (L1F20BSPH0040)

Prof. Wajeeha Javed

Optics Lab S4

18th April 2022 Lab Report # 01

Ex #1 To determine wavelength of sodium
light by a plane diffraction grating using
spectrometer.

Apparatus
Spectrometer Sodium lamp

Prism Power supply

Diffraction grating

Theory
The sodium spectrum is dominated by the bright doublet known as the sodium D-lines at
589.0 and 589.6 nanometers. Using an appropriate
diffraction grating the wavelength separation of these
two lines can be determined. A schematic for
diffraction of sodium light (Na-D lines) with a plane
transmission grating.

For N parallel slits, each with a width e, separated by

an opaque space of width b. the diffraction pattern
consists of diffraction modulated interference fringes.
The quantity(e+b) is called the grating element and N
(= 1/ (e+b)) is the number of slits per unit length,
which could typically be 300 to 12000 lines per inch.
For a large number of slits, the diffraction pattern
consists of extremely sharp (practically narrow lines) principal maxima, together with weak
secondary maxima in between the principal maxima. The various principal maxima are called
orders.
Procedure

• Now remove the prism from the turntable. The next step is to adjust the grating on the
turntable so that its lines are vertical, i.e., parallel to the axis of rotation
• The telescope is now turned through 90° from this position in either direction so that
the reading of the vernier becomes (+900 ) or (-900). Now the axis of telescope is at
right angles to the direction of rays of light emerging from the collimator. The
telescope is clamped in this position.
• The grating of known grating element is then mounted on the grating holder, which is
fixed on the turntable in such a way that the ruled surface of the grating is
perpendicular to the line joining two of the leveling screws (say Q and R).
• The table is now rotated in the proper direction till the reflected image of the slit from
the grating surface coincides with the intersection of the cross-wires of the telescope.
• By the help of two leveling screws (Q and R), perpendicular to which grating is fixed
on the table, the image is adjusted to be symmetrical on the horizontal cross- wires.
The plane of the grating, in this setting, makes an angle of 45° with the incident rays
as well as with the telescope axis.
• The reading of vernier is now taken and with its help, the turntable is rotated through
450 from this position so that the ruled surface becomes exactly normal to the incident
rays. The turntable is now firmly clamped.
• Look through the telescope to notice the first or second order (whichever you see is
completely resolved) D lines of sodium. That means you will see two yellow lines on
both sides of the direct image (which is a single line) of the slit at the center. Note
down the positions of the cross wire for each line on one side using the two verniers
on the spectrometer. Use a torch, if needed, to read the verniers. Repeat the above step
by turning the telescope to the other side too. Determine the diffraction angle,, for all
the two spectral lines.
• Take two sets of reading for each D-line and calculate the corresponding wavelength
λ1 and λ2 using Eq. 1.
Observations & Calculations

Results
▪ Calculate λ1 and λ2 and the uncertainty of the result.
▪ Calculate the difference λ2~ λ1 and compare with the literature value.
▪ Calculate the angular dispersive power.

Ex#2 To determine wavelength of sodium

light by Newton’s rings.

Apparatus
Newton’s rings apparatus Sodium lamp

Travelling microscope convex lens

spherometer
Theory

Issac Newton in 1717, first observed an interference pattern formed by the reflection of light
between a spherical surface and an adjacent flat surface. Although this phenomenon was first
observed by Robert Hooke in 1664. But
this pattern is called as Newton’s Ring
because he was the first scientist to
observe and explain the phenomenon.
Newton’s Ring is the demonstration of the
interference of light waves reflected from
the surface of a thin air film formed
between the plane glass and the convex
lens whose thickness varies while moving
from the center towards the end. The
beams produced from the monochromatic
source satisfy the condition of coherence for interference. The dark and light fringes which
are of ring shaped are produced by the air film existing between a plano-convex lens and a
plane glass.

Procedure
• Place the lens L at a distance equal to its focal length from the sodium lamp to get a
parallel beam of light.
• Adjust the microscope vertically above the center of the lens. Focus the microscope so
that alternate dark and light rings are clearly visible.
• The first few rings are usually not clear so slide the microscope to the left or right and
set it
• tangentially at the center of the nth dark ring.
• Move the cross wire towards left and set it tangentially at the corner of the
(n+m)th dark ring where m=0,1,2,3,….. .Now move the cross wire towards right and
 set it tangentially at the corner of the (n+m)th dark ring where m=0,1,2,3,….. . Note
the main scale and circular scale readings present on the microscope in both the cases.
Now again do the same for the same set of dark ring. Record the observed values .
• Find the difference of the values observed for the same left and the right ring . Take
the mean of the two differences calculated . The result is the diameter of ring formed .
• Repeat the procedure no. 4 and 5 for different rings
• Record the observed values in a table.
• Now, take out the convex lens and the plane glass out from the case carefully and
measure the radius of curvature of the convex lens and also the height of the convex
lens with the help of the spherometer.
• Plot the graph between the no. of rings ‘n’ along the x-axis and the square of the
diameter D2n along y-axis.

Observations & Calculations

Results
▪ The wavelength of sodium light has been determined .
▪ Actual value of sodium light =
▪ Wavelength of sodium light calculated theoretically =
Ex#3To determine wavelength of
sodium light by Fresnel’s biprism

Apparatus

Optical bench Micrometer eye-piece

Biprism Slit

Monochromatic source of light (sodium lamp) Convex lens

Theory
Suppose that the monochromatic light from a slit S, perpendicular to the plane of the paper,
falls symmetrically on the biprism, the refracting edge of which is perpendicular to the paper.
The edge B of the biprism divides the
incident wave-front into two parts which
passing through the upper half and the
lower-half of the biprism appear to diverge
from the virtual images S1 and S2. These
two images now serve as the two coherent
sources produced from the same source and
are very close to and equidistant from S.
Consequently, interference fringes are
observed on the overlapping region of the two emergent beams of light.

The wavelength of monochromatic source of light can be calculated by the formula λ= βd/ .
where β = fringe width i.e., the distance between two successive maxima or minima of the
fringes, d = distance between the two virtual sources (S1S2), D = distance between the slit
and screen or eye-piece where the fringes are observed and measured.

Procedure
• The bed of the optical bench is levelled by a sprit level and the levelling screws.
• Light source and slit is arranged in order to get the maximum light incident on the slit.
• The center of slit, biprism and eye piece is arranged at same height as shown in
Figure.1.
• The slit and biprism edge are made vertical and in line parallel to the bench.
• Observe the interference fringes with eye piece. For clear fringe pattern adjust the
edge of biprism by rotating screw.
• If the line joining the slit and the central edge of the biprism is not parallel to the
length of the bench, fringes would shift laterally as the eye-piece is moved. To
remove this, the biprism is moved a small distance transversely to the bench in a
direction opposite to the direction of the shift till this lateral shift vanishes (Figure 3).
• Now measure the position of fringes by putting the cross wire at mid position of each
bright fringe.
• For measurement of d, a lens of short focal length is inserted between the slit and the
eyepiece.
• The eye-piece is moved away from the slit so that the distance between the slit and the
eyepiece is greater than four times the focal length of the convex lens used for the
measurement of ‘d’.
Observations & Calculations
Pitch of the screw = …. cm.

No. of divs. on the circular head = ….

Least count of the micrometer screw = …. cm

Results

Mean fringe width for one fringe = ….cm

Value of D = …. cm. = d/ = ………Å.

The wave length of the monochromatic source = (…………. ± Maximum probable error) Å.

Resources:

❖ https://repo.iitbhu.ac.in/db/2016/ir-2016-
372/Manual%20_%20Fresnel%20Biprism.pdf
❖ https://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/2labman_newtons8.pdf
❖ https://www.niser.ac.in/sps/sites/default/files/basic_page/Sodium%20D-
line%20splitting.pdf
❖ Notes