Tutorial and Assignment-2

OPTICS
Module No.1 : Diffraction of light
TUTORIAL:1

1
2

A slit of width a is illuminated by white light. For what value of a does the first
minimum for red light ( = 650nm) fall at = 15o?
When monochromatic light is incident on a slit 0.022 mm wide, the first diffraction
minimum is observed at an angle of 1.80 from the direction of the incident beam. Find the
wavelength of the incident light.
Determine the maximum slit width that could be used if a central maximum angular width
of 0.12 mrad can just be detected and you guess the wavelength of the x-rays to be 0.10
nm.
Monochromatic light of wavelength 441 nm falls on a narrow slit. On a screen 2.16 m
away, the distance between the second minimum and the central maximum is 1.62 cm. (a)
Calculate the angle of diffraction of the second minimum, (b) Find width of the slit.
The distance between the first and the fifth minima of a single slit pattern is 0.350mm with
the screen 41.3 cm away from the slit, using light having a wavelength of 546 nm. (a)
Calculate the diffraction angle of the first minimum. (b) Find the width of the slit
Monochromatic light with wavelength 538 nm falls on a slit with width 25.2m. The
distance from the slit to a screen is 3.48m. Consider a point on the screen 1.13cm from the
central maximum. Calculate (a) (b) (c) ratio of the intensity at this point to the intensity
at the central maximum.
An astronaut in a satellite claims to be able to just barely resolve two point sources on
Earth, 163 km below. Calculate the (a) angular (b) linear separation of the two point
sources, assuming ideal conditions. Take =540 nm and the pupil diameter of the
astronauts eye to be 4.90 mm.

The two headlights of an approaching automobile are 1.4 m apart. Assume the pupil
diameter is 5.0 mm and the wavelength of light is 550 nm. (a) At what angular separation
and (b) minimum distance will the eye resolve them?
TUTORIAL: 2
How many complete fringes appear between the first minima of the fringe envelope on
either side of the central maximum for a double-slit pattern if = 557 nm, d = 0.150 mm,

and a = 0.030 mm? (b) What is the ratio of the intensity of the third fringe to the side of the
center to that of the central fringe?

10

11

12
13

14

1
2

3
4

Light of wavelength 440nm passes

through a double slit, wielding the
diffraction pattern of intensity I versus
deflection angle shown in Figure.
Calculate (a) the slit width and (b) the slit
separation. (c) Verify the displayed
intensities of m=1 and m=2 interference
fringes.
A certain grating has 104 slits with a spacing of d = 2100 nm. It is illuminated with yellow
sodium light ( = 589 nm). Find (a) the angular position of all principal maxima observed
and (b) the angular width of the largest order maximum.
A grating has 315 rulings / mm. For what wavelengths in the visible spectrum can fifthorder diffraction be observed?
A grating has 9600 lines uniformly spaced over a width 3cm and is illuminated by mercury
light.
(a)What is the expected dispersion in the third order, in the vicinity of intense green line (
= 546nm)? (b)What is the resolving power of this grating in the fifth order? (c) What is the
wavelength difference that can be resolved in the 5th order.
The sodium doublet in the spectrum of sodium is a pair of lines with wavelengths 589.0
and 589.6 nm. Calculate the minimum number of rulings in a grating needed to resolve this
doublet in the second-order spectrum.
Assignment: Theory Questions
Distinguish between Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction.
Using suitable diagram, derive an expression for intensity of Fraunhofer diffraction pattern
due to single-slit using phasor diagram. Also plot the graph between relative intensity V/s
angle. (b) Calculate approximately the relative intensities of the maxima (up to second
order) in the single slit Fraunhofer diffraction pattern.
Derive an expression for the intensity distribution due to Fraunhofer diffraction at a single
slit. Deduce the conditions for intensity minima
Use phasor diagram to obtain an expression for the intensity of diffracted light in
Fraunhoffers diffraction due to single slit. Show that the intensities of successive maxima
are nearly in the ratio 1:

5
6

4
2
9 :

4
2
25 :

4
2
49

State Rayleigh criterion for optical resolution with proper diagram.

Explain the Rayleighs criterion of resolution and obtain an expression for resolving power

7
8
9
10

11
12

13

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

of a diffraction grating.
Write a short note on Rayleighs criterion of resolution of images of two objects. Draw a
suitable diagram and obtain an expression for resolving power of a diffraction grating.
Define the dispersive power and resolving power of a grating. Also derive expressions for
dispersive power and resolving power of a grating.
Explain Diffraction phenomenon and define dispersive power and resolving power for a
grating.
A single slit is illuminated by light whose wavelengths are a and b, so chosen that the first
diffraction minimum of a component coincides with the second minimum of the b
component.
(a) What relationship exists between the two wavelengths?
(b) Do any other minima in the pattern coincide?
Derive expressions for dispersive power and resolving power of a grating.
What is diffraction grating? Obtain an expression for the angular width of the
principal maximum at an angle in diffraction pattern due to a multiple slit
diffraction grating.
Explain the term dispersive power of a grating and obtain an expression connecting the
dispersion and the spacing between the slits d.
Conceptual questions
In what way are interference and diffraction similar? In what way are they different?
Why is the diffraction of sound waves more evident in daily experience than the diffraction
of light waves?
Why do radio waves diffract around buildings, although light waves do not?
In single slit diffraction, what is the effect on the width of the central maximum if we
increase (i) , keeping a and D constant, (ii) a, keeping and D constant ? (iii)
Describe what will happen to the fringes if the entire set up is immersed in water. (iv) if
the width of the slit is made equal to the wavelength of light used (v) what will happen if
the width of the slit is made greater than the wavelength of light used. (Note: D is the
separation between slit and screen).
For a diffraction grating, what is the advantage of (a) many slits, (b) closely spaced slits?
A single slit diffraction pattern is obtained using a beam of red light. What will happen if
the red light is replaced by blue light?
Do diffraction effect occur for virtual images as well as for real images.?
If we look at the sun through a piece of fine cloth we observed coloured spectra at the site
of holes in the cloth. Why?
Diffraction grating is better than two double slits set up for measuring the wavelength of a
monochromatic light. Explain.
We cannot observe the diffraction pattern in a wide slit illuminated by monochromatic
light. Why ?
What happen if the wavelength of light is switched from yellow to green on the limit of
resolution and resolving power of a telescope?