58 Engineering Physics

Q.16 In which of the following the interference is produced by the division of amplitude?
(a) Lloyd’s mirror (b) Newton’s rings
(c) Young’s double slit experiment (d) Fresnel’s biprism
Q.17 When monochromatic light is replaced by white light in Fresnel’s biprism arrangement, the central
fringe is
(a) dark (b) coloured (c) white (d) none of these
Q.18 In Newton’s rings arrangement, bright and dark rings are obtained using sodium yellow light. What
happens if the top surface of the glass plate on which the lens is kept is highly silvered?
(a) fringes disappear (b) fringe width remains unchanged
(c) fringe width decreases (d) none of these

s HoRt -A nsWeR Q Uestions

Q.1 What is a wavefront?
Q.2 What do you understand by phase difference and path difference?
Q.3 What do you understand by coherent sources?
Q.4 Discuss why two independent sources of light can never be coherent?
Q.5 How are two coherent sources obtained in practice?
Q.6 What are the conditions for interference of light?
Q.7 What are the conditions for maxima and minima in an interference pattern?
Q.8 Define fringe width.
Q.9 Explain fringe width obtained in Newton’s rings experiment.
Q.10 Distinguish between division of wavefront and division of amplitude?
Q.11 What is Fresnel’s biprism?
Q.12 Explain the formation of coherent sources by the use of Fresnel’s biprism.
Q.13 Explain the effect of placing a very thin film in the path of one of the interfering beams.
Q.14 Explain the formation of colours when the white light is incident on a transparent thin film.
Q.15 Why a thick film shows no colours in reflected white light?
Q.16 Explain the necessity of extended source in interference with division of amplitude.
Q.17 What are Newton’s rings?
Q.18 Explain why Newton’s rings are circular.
Q.19 Discuss Michelson’s interferometer.
Q.20 Give the applications of Michelson’s interferometer.

P RACtiCe P RoBleMs

Q.1 Briefly outline the wave theory of light. What is wavefront? How does it propagate?
Q.2 Explain clearly Huygens’ principle for the propagation of light.
Q.3 What are coherent sources? What are the conditions for two sources to be coherent? How are they
realised in practice? Can two independent sources become coherent?