Wave Optics
𝑐 𝜆𝑣𝑎𝑐 1𝑚
f= 𝜆 𝜆𝑛 = , mλ = dsinθ, 𝑑 = (# 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠/ 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒)
𝑛
Use the following words to fill in the blanks:
diffraction, standing, sum, reflected, sound, echo, interference, superimposed,
destructive, constructive, wavelength
Interacting Waves
Have you ever called out to someone and heard your voice come back to
you? Maybe you were in the woods and there was a cliff nearby. The _______
waves that left your mouth were reflected off the cliff and came back to you as an
_______. In the same way, when you pluck a guitar string you start the string
vibrating and waves move down the string. The waves are _______ from the fixed
end of the string and return along the string. In both cases the incoming and
reflected waves occupy the same space and we say the two waves are ________
on each other.
This superposition of the waves results in interference. At any given point in
space the resultant disturbance is the _______ of the individual disturbances of
the two waves in question. At some places the two disturbances will add to give
zero displacement - a point of _______ interference. At some places the waves
will add to a maximum disturbance, a point of _______ interference. This
superposition of waves and the resulting interference occurs for any type of waves
– think what happens to your car radio when you pass under a transmission line.
In this case there is interference between the electromagnetic radio waves from
the station and electromagnetic waves from the transmission lines. Mobile phones
have to be turned off in aeroplanes so they don’t interfere with navigation signals.
In some cases when waves superimpose there is a regular interference
pattern set up which has points of destructive and constructive interference that
are constant in time. These are called _______ waves. Standing waves on violin
strings and in the air columns of flutes and clarinets give notes of fixed frequency
that are the bases of musical sounds.
Another strange property of waves, called _______, occurs when they bend
around obstacles and move through narrow spaces. This diffraction is most
noticeable when the obstacle or narrow space has a size of the order of the
_______ of the wave. Hold two fingers very close together and up to the light. The
light will diffract around your fingers and interfere. Can you see some fine lines
between your fingers? This is an ________ pattern.
Dr L Wallace Wave Optics Tutorial
Diffraction Concepts
Q. Please read the statement, choose one of the 5 options listed, and explain
your answer using your knowledge of wave optics.
Diffraction occurs when light passes a:
1. pinhole.
2. narrow slit.
3. wide slit.
4. sharp edge.
5. all of the above
c
Wavelength & Frequency f=
λ
Q. Given the following wavelengths of visible light, calculate their frequencies,
and identify their colours: (a) 395 nm, (b) 540 nm, (c) 720 nm.
Q. Given the following frequencies of visible light, identify their wavelengths
and colours: (a) 4.84 x 10 14 Hz, (b) 665 THz, (c) 560 THz.
1𝑚
Diffraction Calculations mλ = dsinθ 𝑑 = (# 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠/ 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒)
NB: DRAW DIAGRAMS WHERE POSSIBLE.
Q. Write down the diffraction formula that relates wavelength of light to its
angle of diffraction, . Explain each term in the equation, providing SI units, where
appropriate. Comment on the relationship of to .
Q. Calculate the grating spacing, d, of a grating that has (a) 4500 lines per cm,
(b) 250 lines/mm, (c) 1000 lines per mm.
Q. How many lines per metre does a grating have if its grating spacing d, is
(a) 5 x 10-5 m, (b) 2.5 x 10-6 m
Q. A 3500 line/cm grating produces a third order fringe at a 22.0 angle. What
wavelength of light is being used? [357 nm]
Q. Light falling normally on a 10000 line/cm grating is revealed to contain three
lines in the first order spectrum at angles of 31.2, 36.4 and 47.5. What
wavelengths are these? [518, 593, 737 nm]
Dr L Wallace Wave Optics Tutorial
Q. The angle of the 2nd order diffracted image formed by an optical grating of
5000 lines/cm is 32. Calculate the wavelength of the light used. [530 nm]
Q You are conducting a diffraction experiment in the physics lab. You use a
red laser of 630 nm wavelength to illuminate a diffraction grating and form a
diffraction pattern on a screen. You observe that the second order bright fringe
makes an angle of 39.5.
(a) What is the distance d between the slits on the grating you are using?
How many lines:
(b) per metre
(c) per millimetre does this grating have?
Support your answer to this question above a clearly labeled diagram.
[(a) 1.89 x10-6 m, (b) approx 530000, (c) 530]
Q. An interference pattern from a double slit experiment is shown here.
Indicate clearly what type of interference is occurring at locations X and Y in the
given diagram. Explain your answer using your knowledge of interference and
diffraction.
Dr L Wallace Wave Optics Tutorial
