WAVE OPTICS

Interference
1. Phase difference between two waves having same frequency () and same amplitude (A) is
2/3. If these waves super impose each other, then resultant amplitude will be
a) 2A b) 0 c) A d) A2
2. Ratio of amplitudes of the waves coming from two slits having widths in the ratio 4 : 1 will be
a) 1 : 2 b) 2 : 1 c) 1 : 4 d) 4 : 1
3. Two slits S1and S2 illuminated by a white light source gives a white central maxima. A
transparent sheet of refractive index 1.25 and thickness t1 is placed in front of S1. Another
transparent sheet of refractive index 1.5 and thickness t2 is placed in front of S2. if central
maxima is not affected then ratio of the thickness of the two sheets will be
a) 1 : 2 b) 2 : 1 c) 1 : 4 d) 4 : 1
4. Two coherent waves are represented by y1 = a1cost and y2 = a2cos(/2-t). Their resultant
intensity after interference will be
a) a1 – a2 2) a1+a2 3) a12 – a22 4) a12 + a22
5. In Young’s double slit experiment, if wave length of light changes from 1 to 2 and distance
of seventh maxima changes from d1 to d2 then
a) d1/d2 = 1/2 b) d1/d2 = 2/1 c) d1/d2 = 12/22 d) d1/d2= (2/1)2
6. In Young’s double slit experiment is performed in still and clear water, instead of air then
fringe pattern
a) will shrink b) will disappear c) will be enlarged d) None of these
7. Ratio of intensities of two waves is 9 : 1. If these two waves are super imposed then ratio of
maximum and minimum intensities is
a) 3 : 1 b) 4 : 1 c) 5 : 3 d) 9 :1
8. If ratio of amplitude of two waves is 4 : 3 then ratio of maximum and minimum intensities of
two waves will be
a) 16 : 9 b) 9 : 16 c) 49 : 1 d) None of these
9. In the interference pattern by two identical slits intensity of central maxima is I. If one of the
two slits is closed then intensity of light at the same spot will be
a) I b) I / 4 c) I / 2 d) 4I
10. In a fixed region of a thin film, 10 fringes are observed in the reflected beam if wave length of
the incident light is 42000A. If wave length of incident beam is changed to 60000A then
number of fringes observed in the same region will be
a) 4 b) 7 c) 11 d) 3
11. In Young’s double slit experiment source emits light of wave length 70000A. If distance
between the two slits is 1mm and distance between slits and screen is 1m then distance
between 3rd black and 5th bright fringe is
a) 1.75 mm b) 1.85 mm c) 0.875 mm d) 1.75 mm
12. If the ratio of intensities (max and min) in Young’s double slit experiment is 9 : 1 then
ratio of amplitude of the coherent sources is
 a) 9 : 1 b) 3 : 1 c) 2 :1 d) 1 :1
13. Two waves of intensities I1 and I2 interfere with each other. If the ratio of resultant maximum
and minimum intensity is 4 : 1 then I1 : I2 will be
a) 4 : 1 b) 1: 4 c) 9 : 1 d) 16 : 1
14. In Young’s double slit experiment fringe width is found to be 0.4 mm. If the whole apparatus
is immersed in water of refractive index 4/3 without disturbing the geometrical arrangement,
new fringe width will be
a) 0.30 mm b) 0.40 mm c) 0.50 mm d) 0.45 mm
15. In Young’s experiment, 3rd bright fringe of light of wave length 1 coincides with 4th bright
fringe of light of wave length 2 then
a) 1 = 2 b) 32 = 41 c) 31 = 42 d) None of these
16. In Young’s experiment, wave length of red light is 7.8 x 10-8 cm and that of blue light is 5.2x
10-8 cm value of n for which (n+1)th blue bright line coinciding with nth red fringe is
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4
17. Central fringe shifts to the position of fifth bright fringe if a thin film of refractive index 1.5 is
introduced in the path of light of wave length 50000A. Thickness of glass plate is
a) 1m b) 5m c) 3m d) 4m
18. If in Young’s double slit experiment, d = 0.1 mm D = 20cm and  = 54600A then angular
position of first dark fringe will be
a) 0.080 b) 0.240 c) 0.320 d) 0.160
19. If wave length of light used in Young’s double slit experiment is 50000A, then phase
difference between the waves reaching third bright fringe and central fringe will be
a) zero b) 2 c) 3 d) 6
20. In Young’s double slit experiment, 12 fringes are obtained to be formed in a certain segment of
the screen when light of 600nm is used. If wave length of light is changed to 400nm, number
of fringes obtained in the same segment of the screen is given by
a) 12 b) 15 c) 18 d) 21
21. Path difference between two wave fronts emitted from coherent sources is 2.1 micron. Phase
difference between the wave fronts at that point is 7.692 . Wave length of light emitted by
sources will be
a) 53850A b) 54000A c) 54600A d) 58920A
22. In Young’s double slit experiment, two slits are illuminated by a mixture of two wavelengths
120000A and 10,0000A. At 6mm from the common central bright fringe on a screen 2m away
from the slits, a bright fringe of one interference pattern coincides with the bright fringe of
other. Distance between the slits should be
a) 1.0 mm b) 1.5mm c) 2.0mm d) 2.5 mm
23. In Young’s double slit experiment, distance between the slits S1 and S2 is d and the distance
between slits and screen is D. Then first missing wave length on the screen in front of S 1 is
a) d2/D b) d2/2D c) D/d2 d) None of these
24. In Young’s double slit experiment, if the widths of the slit are in the ratio 4 : 9, ratio of
intensity of maxima to intensity of minima will be
a) 25 : 1 b) 9 : 4 c) 3: 2 d) 81 : 16
25. Ratio of intensities between a point A and that of central fringe is 0.853. Then path difference
between two waves at point A will be
a) /2 b) /4 c) /8 d) 
26. What is the effect on the interference fringes in Young’s double slit experiment if the source
slit is moved closer to the double slit plane
a) The fringe width increases b) The fringe width decreases
c) The fringes become more distinct d) Fringes become less distinct
27. What is the effect on the interference fringes in Young’s double slit experiment if the width of
the source slit is increased?
a) The fringe width increases b) The fringe width decreases
c) The fringes become more distinct d) Fringes become less distinct
28. White light is used to illuminate the two slits in Young’s double slit experiment. The
separation between the slits is d and the distance between the screen and the slit is D(>>d) . At
a point on the screen directly in front of one of the slits, certain wavelengths are missing. The
missing wave lengths are (here m = 0, 1, 2…… is an integer)
d2 ( 2m  1) d 2 d2 ( m  1) d 2
a)  = (2m  1) D b)  = c) (m  1) D d)
D D

29. The equations of two interfering waves are y1 = bCost and y2 = bCos(t+) respectively.
Destructive interference will take place at the point of observation for the following value of
.
a) 00 b) 3600 c) 1800 d) 7200
30. In Young’s double slit interference experiment the wave length of light used is 60000A.. If the
path difference between waves reaching a point P on the screen is 1.5 microns then at that
point P
a) second bright band occurs b) second dark band occurs
c) Third dark band occurs d) Third bright band occurs
Diffraction
31. Fresnel’s zones are known as half period zones because the path difference between
consecutive zones is
a) /2 b)  c) /4 d) 2
32. Attempts to isolate a single ray of light by forcing light through a narrow slit fail because of
the phenomenon of
a) polarization b) interference c) diffraction d) reflection
33. Consider the two statements A and B given and identify the correct choice in the options given
below
A) All diffraction effects involve interference
 B) All interference effects involve diffraction
a) A is true B is false b) A is false B is true
c) A is true B is true d) A is false B is false
34. The phase difference between the secondary waves reaching a point from alternating half
period zones according to Fresnel is
a) /2 b) 3/2 c)  d) 2
35. Light of wave length  is incident on a slit of width ‘d’ and distance between screen and slit is
D. Then width of maxima and width of slit will be equal if D is
a) d2 /  b) 2d /  c) 2d2 /  d) d2 / 2
36. A beam of light of wavelength 600nm from a distant source falls on a single slit 1.00nm wide
and the resulting diffraction pattern is observed on a screen 2m away. Then distance between
the first dark fringe on either side of the central bright fringe is
a) 1.2nm b) 2.4nm c) 3.6nm d) 2.4nm
37. Width of a slit is 0.2 mm. Light of wave lengths 6328 0A is incident on it normally. Screen is at
a distance of 9.0 m from the slit. Then angular width of central maximum will be about
a) 18 ' ' b) 36 ' ' c) 0.360 d) 0.910
38. Light of wavelength 65000A is incident on a slit if first minima for red is at 30 0, then slit width
will be about
a) 1 x 10-6 m b) 5.2 x 10-6 m c) 1.3 x 10-6 m d) 2.6 x 10-6 m
39. Width of the principal maximum on a screen at a distance of 50 cm from the slit having width
0.02 cm is 312.5 x 10-3 cm. if waves are incident normally on the slit, then wavelength of the
light from the source will be
a) 60000A b) 62500A c) 64000A d) 65250A
40. Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of a single slit is obtained in the focal plane of lens of focal
length 1m. If third maximum is formed at a distance of 5mm from the central maximum and
wavelength of light used is 50000A then width of the slit will be
a) 0.02 cm b) 0.03 cm c) 0.04 cm d) 1 cm
41. Distance between first and sixth minima in the diffraction pattern of a single slit is 0.5 mm.
Screen 50 cm away form the slit. If slit width is 2.5mm, then wavelength of light used is
a) 50000A b) 60000A c) 65000A d) 80000A
42. A single slit diffraction pattern is obtained using a beam of red light. What happens if the red
light is replaced by blue light
a) There is no change in diffraction pattern
b) Diffraction fringes become narrower and crowded together
c) Diffraction fringes become broader and farther apart
d) The diffraction pattern disappears
43. In Young’s double slit experiment the distance d between the slits S1 and S2 is 1.0mm. What
should the width of each slit be so as to obtain 10 maxima of the two slit interference pattern
within the central maximum of the single slit diffraction pattern?
 a) 0.1 mm b) 0.2 mm c) 0.3 mm d) 0.4 mm
Polarisation:
44. In the case of light waves the angle between plane of vibration and plane of polarization is
a) 1800 b) 900 c) 450 d) 600
45. A ray of light from a denser medium strikes a rarer medium at an angle of incidence ‘i’ if the
reflected and refracted rays are mutually perpendicular to each other then the critical angle is
a) sin-1(Tan i) b) cos-1(Tan i) c) cot-1(Tan i)d) cosec-1( Tan i)
46. In a crystal of calcite which is anisotropic, a point source inside generates two types of
secondary wave fronts. They are
a) Spherical for extraordinary ray and ellipsoidal for ordinary ray
b) Spherical for extraordinary ray and spherical for ordinary ray
c) Ellipsoidal for extraordinary ray and spherical for ordinary ray
d) Ellipsoidal for extraordinary ray and ellipsoidal for ordinary ray
47. The polarizing angle of a certain type of glass is found to be twice the angle of refraction
inside it. When a ray of light falls on the surface such that the reflected ray is completely
linearly polarized. The refractive index of that glass is
a) 3 b) 1/ 3 c) 2 d) 1.5
48. The polarizing angle for one type of glass is found equal to the critical angle for another type
of glass with respect to air. What is the relation between the refractive indices 1 and 2 of the
two glasses
1  2 1  1
2
1  2
2 2

a) 1 = 2) 2 = 3) 1 = 2 4) 2 =
2 2 2

49. A ray of unpolarised light is incident on a glass plate of refractive index 1.54 at polarizing
angle, then angle of refraction is
a) 330 b) 440 c) 570 d) 900
50. An unpolarised beam of light is incident on a group of three polarizing sheets which are
arranged in such a way that plane of rotation of one makes an angle of 45 0 with the adjacent
one. The percentage of incident light transmitted by first polarizer will be
a) 33% b) 16.6% c) 50% d) 25%

Key :
1) c 2) b 3) b 4) d 5) a 6) a 7) b 8) c 9) b 10) b
11) a 12) c 13) c 14) a 15) c 16) b 17) b 18) d 19) d 20) c
21) c 22) c 23) a 24) a 25) c 26) d 27) d 28) a 29) c 30) c
31) a 32) c 33) a 34) d 35) d 36) b 37) c 38) c 39) b 40) b
41) a 42) b 43) b 44) b 45) a 46) c 47) a 48) b 49) a 50) c