Numerical

Topic 1. Interference, Diffraction and Polarization

1. A parallel beam of light is incident normally on a plane grating having 4300 lines/cm. A
second order spectral line is found to be deviated through an angle of 30˚. Determine the
wavelength of spectral line.

2. A monochromatic light of wavelength 5860×10 -8 cm is incident normally on a 2 cm wide

grating. The first order spectrum is produced at an angle of 20˚ with respect to the normal.
Determine the total number of lines on the grating.

3. The plane of polarization gets rotated through 23.8˚ as light travels through 18 cm long-
column of 20% sugar solution. Determine the specific rotation of the solution.

4. Light of wavelength 5×10-5 cm is incident normally on a plane transmission grating of

width 3 cm and 15000 lines. Find the angle of diffraction in first order.

5. Light of wavelength 5893 Å is reflected at normal incidence from a soap film of refractive
index 1.42. What is the least thickness of the film that will appear for bright and dark?

6. A parallel beam of light strikes an oil film (µ=1.4), flowing on a surface of water (µ=1.33).
When viewed at an angle of 30˚ from the normal 6 th dark fringe is seen. Find the thickness
of the film. (Given: Wavelength of light=589 nm).

7. Calculate the thickness of a soap film (µ=1.463) that will result in constructive
interference in the reflected light, if the film is illuminated normally with light whose
wavelength in free space is 6000Å.

8. A parallel beam of sodium light (λ=5890 Å) strikes a film of oil floating on water. When
viewed at an angle of 30˚ from the normal, θth dark band is seen. Determine the thickness of
the film. (Refractive index of oil=1.46).

9. White light is reflected from an oil film of thickness 0.01 mm and refractive index 1.4 at
an angle of 45˚ to the vertical. If the reflected light falls on the slit of a spectrometer,
calculate the number of dark bands seen between wavelengths 4000Å and 5000Å.

10. A parallel beam of light of wavelength 5890Å is incident on a glass plate having
refractive index µ=1.5 such that the angle of refraction in the plate is 60˚. Calculate the
smallest thickness of glass plate which will appear dark by reflected light.

11. Two plane glass surfaces in contact along one edge are separated at the opposite edge
by a thin wire. If 20 interference fringes are observed between these edges in sodium light
at normal incidence what is the thickness of wire?
12. A wedge air film is enclosed between two glass plates touching at one edge and
separated by a wire of 0.06×10-3 m diameter at a distance of 0.15 m from the edge. Calculate
the fringe width. The light of wavelength 6.0×10 -7 m from the broad surface is allowed to
fall normally on the film.

13. Interference fringes are produced when monochromatic light is incident normally on a
thin wedge-shaped film of refractive index 1.5. If the distance between two consecutive
fringes is 0.02 mm. Find the angle of the film, the wavelength of light being 5.5∗10-5 cm.

14. In Newton’s ring experiment, the diameter of the 15 th ring was found to be 0.59 cm and
that of the 5th ring was 0.336cm. If the radius of the plano convex lens is 100 cm, compute
the wavelength of light used.

15. How many orders will be visible if the wavelength of the incident radiation is 5000AÅ
and the numbers of lines on the grating is 2620 in one inch.

16. What is the highest order spectrum which may be seen with monochromatic light of
wavelength 5000AÅ by means of diffraction grating with 5000 lines/cm?

17. Compute the specific rotation if the plane of polarization of plane polarized light is
turned through 26.4 ˚, traversing 20 cm length of 20% sugar solution.

18. The plane of polarization of plane polarized light is rotated through 6.5 ˚ in passing
through a length of 2.0 decimeter of sugar solution of 5% concentration. Calculate the
specific rotation of the sugar solution.

19. A 20 cm long tube containing sugar solution rotates the plane of polarization by 11˚. If
the specific rotation of sugar is 66˚, determine the strength of solution.

20. A sugar solution in a tube of length 20 cm produces optical rotation of 13˚. The solution
is then diluted to one-third of its previous concentration. Find the optical rotation produced
by 30 cm long tube containing the diluted solution.