SPH4U0

Mr. Lippa and Mr. Whisen

Wave Nature of Light Problem Set

1. Copy and complete the following table for the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Type of Radiation
Radio Micro Infrared Visible Ultraviolet X-ray Gamma Cosmic

Frequency Range

Origin of Radiation

Applications or Effects of Radiation

2. Light travels from air into diamond at an angle of 58o. Determine the angle of refraction and draw an accurate sketch of the situation. 3. In an interference experiment, red light (600 nm) passes through a double slit. On a screen 1.5 m away, the distance between the 1st and 11th dark bands is 13.2 cm. What is the separation of the slits? What would the spacing be, between adjacent nodal lines, if blue light (450 nm) were used? 4. If the first nodal line in a single-slit diffraction pattern occurs at an angle of 15o for light with a wavelength of 580 nm, what is the width of the slit? 5. If the Michelson-Morley Interferometer was not able to verify the existence of ether, why is the experiment so famous?

Modern Physics Problem Set

6. One of Einsteins postulates for the Special Theory of Relativity states
Light travels through empty space with a definite speed of c = 3.00x108 m/s, regardless of the speed of the light source or of the observer.

Explain, with examples, how this is a radical departure from our classical understanding of physics. 7. An astronaut is sent on a voyage in a spaceship that is 100 m long. The astronaut has a mass of 75 kg and a pulse of 72 beats/min. A stationary observer on Earth takes measurements of the astronauts mass and pulse, and of the length of the spaceship. What would the stationary observer measure for the mass, pulse and length when the spaceship is moving, relative to the Earth, at a) 0.10 c, and b) 0.90 c 8. How much energy can be produced by the complete annihilation of 1.0 kg of mass? How much would the energy cost at 5 cents/kWh? 9. Three experiments/phenomena in the early 20th century (Blackbody, Photoelectric Effect, Atomic Emission Spectra) clearly represented a breakdown of classical mechanics. Explain what classical mechanics would have predicted for these experiments, and how the prediction is distinctly different from what is observed. 10. Niels Bohr is considered one of the founding fathers of quantum theory. Briefly explain, in your own words, what his Principle of Complimentarily means. Research his Correspondence Principal and explain what it means, and why it is so important to our understanding of Physics. 11. Radon-222 is a colourless, odourless, inert gas that is a daughter product of uranium-238. If the half-life of radon-222 is 3.8 days, how long does it take for a sample to decay to 10% of its original concentration? 12. In the search for a Grand Unified Theory, physicists have developed very elaborate and crazy theories. In a well structured paragraph, explain why it is important for a physicist to be creative when trying to understand the laws of nature.