Question 1

The principle of superposition states:

Accepted Answer

A)  The effect observed at each point of a wave made up of two or more waves is the sum of the effects that the individual waves would produce at that point. 
B)  Huygens' wavelets cannot be allowed to extend across regions where the phase velocity of the wave changes abruptly. 
C)  Sources of radiation whose phase angles are maintained at constant differences are said to be coherent. 
D)  A characteristic phenomenon of wave propagation is the tendency of a wave to expand around and behind any obstacles it chances to encounter. 
E)  A good source of waves at a particular frequency is a good detector of waves at the same frequency. 
A)  The effect observed at each point of a wave made up of two or more waves is the sum of the effects that the individual waves would produce at that point. 
B)  Huygens' wavelets cannot be allowed to extend across regions where the phase velocity of the wave changes abruptly. 
C)  Sources of radiation whose phase angles are maintained at constant differences are said to be coherent. 
D)  A characteristic phenomenon of wave propagation is the tendency of a wave to expand around and behind any obstacles it chances to encounter. 
E)  A good source of waves at a particular frequency is a good detector of waves at the same frequency.

Question 2

Two clear but non-mixing liquids each of depth 15 cm are placed together in a glass container. The liquids have refractive indices of 1.75 and 1.33. What is the apparent depth of the combination when viewed from above?

Accepted Answer

A)  19.8 cm 
B)  23.1 cm 
C)  17.7 cm 
D)  9.9 cm 
E)  None of these is correct. 
A)  19.8 cm 
B)  23.1 cm 
C)  17.7 cm 
D)  9.9 cm 
E)  None of these is correct.

Question 3

Huygens' theory for the construction of wavefronts states that

Accepted Answer

A)  the angle of incidence is always less than the angle of refraction. 
B)  the time required for light to travel from one point to another is either a maximum or minimum. 
C)  only parallel light produces interference and diffraction. 
D)  each point on a wavefront is itself the source of a secondary spherical wave. 
E)  all wavefronts are spherical. 
A)  the angle of incidence is always less than the angle of refraction. 
B)  the time required for light to travel from one point to another is either a maximum or minimum. 
C)  only parallel light produces interference and diffraction. 
D)  each point on a wavefront is itself the source of a secondary spherical wave. 
E)  all wavefronts are spherical.

Question 4

The speed of yellow sodium light in a certain liquid is 1.92 × 108 m/s. With respect to air, the index of refraction of this liquid for sodium light is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  1.92. 
B)  1.56. 
C)  1.23. 
D)  0.64. 
E)  1.33. 
A)  1.92. 
B)  1.56. 
C)  1.23. 
D)  0.64. 
E)  1.33.

Question 5

A 60° prism has a refractive index of 1.71. Calculate the angle of emergence out of the prism for a ray that enters one side at an angle almost parallel to one face, i.e. at 90° to the normal.

Accepted Answer

A)  24.3° 
B)  35.8° 
C)  45.1° 
D)  48.7° 
E)  55.3° 
A)  24.3° 
B)  35.8° 
C)  45.1° 
D)  48.7° 
E)  55.3°

Question 6

A narrow, horizontal slit is 0.50 mm above a horizontal plane mirror. The slit is illuminated by light of wavelength 400 nm. The interference pattern is viewed on a screen 10.0 m from the slit. What is the vertical distance from the mirror to the first bright line?

Accepted Answer

A)  1.0 mm 
B)  2.0 mm 
C)  3.0 mm 
D)  4.0 mm 
E)  1.2 mm 
A)  1.0 mm 
B)  2.0 mm 
C)  3.0 mm 
D)  4.0 mm 
E)  1.2 mm

Question 7

Two slits of width a = 0.020 mm are separated by a distance d = 0.05 mm and illuminated by light of wavelength λ = 500 nm. The number of bright fringes seen in the central maximum is

Accepted Answer

A)  2.5. 
B)  3. 
C)  4. 
D)  5. 
E)  6. 
A)  2.5. 
B)  3. 
C)  4. 
D)  5. 
E)  6.

Question 8

A light wave is like a sound wave in that both

Accepted Answer

A)  are longitudinal waves. 
B)  are means of transmitting energy. 
C)  are transverse waves. 
D)  require a material medium for propagation. 
E)  have the same velocity in air. 
A)  are longitudinal waves. 
B)  are means of transmitting energy. 
C)  are transverse waves. 
D)  require a material medium for propagation. 
E)  have the same velocity in air.

Question 9

Two optically flat plates lie one on top of the other. A sheet of paper 0.1 mm thick is inserted between the plates at one edge. When the plates are illuminated by light of wavelength 589 nm, the number of interference fringes observed by reflected light is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  470. 
B)  340. 
C)  294. 
D)  170. 
E)  123. 
A)  470. 
B)  340. 
C)  294. 
D)  170. 
E)  123.

Question 10

Light traveling in a transparent medium with an index of refraction n1 is incident on a transparent boundary with a second transparent medium with an index n2. Very little light is transmitted into the second medium. Which of the following statements must be true?

Accepted Answer

A)  n1 equals n2  
B)  n1 is somewhat greater than n2 
C)  n2 is somewhat greater than n1 
D)  n2 is much greater than n1 
E)  Either index of refraction is much greater than the other. 
A)  n1 equals n2  
B)  n1 is somewhat greater than n2 
C)  n2 is somewhat greater than n1 
D)  n2 is much greater than n1 
E)  Either index of refraction is much greater than the other.

Question 11

When a parallel beam of light is diffracted at a single slit,

Accepted Answer

A)  the shadow is always sharp. 
B)  the narrower the slit, the narrower the central diffraction maximum. 
C)  the narrower the slit, the wider the central diffraction maximum. 
D)  the width of the central diffraction maximum is independent of the width of the slit. 
E)  none of these is correct. 
A)  the shadow is always sharp. 
B)  the narrower the slit, the narrower the central diffraction maximum. 
C)  the narrower the slit, the wider the central diffraction maximum. 
D)  the width of the central diffraction maximum is independent of the width of the slit. 
E)  none of these is correct.

Question 12

Two side-by-side coherent light sources radiate at 600 nm. The phase difference between these two sources at a point in space is 0.582 radians. The path difference between the two sources could be

Accepted Answer

A)  43.5 nm. 
B)  55.6 nm. 
C)  62.4 nm. 
D)  75.9 nm. 
E)  87.4 nm. 
A)  43.5 nm. 
B)  55.6 nm. 
C)  62.4 nm. 
D)  75.9 nm. 
E)  87.4 nm.

Question 13

A wedge-shaped film of air is formed by placing two flat glass plates with one end touching each other and the other end spaced by a gold leaf. The wedge is then illuminated using a monochromatic light of wavelength 590 nm from above and the complete fringe pattern is shown. The thickness of the gold leaf is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  7.1 µm. 
B)  7.4 µm. 
C)  6.5 µm. 
D)  6.8 µm. 
E)  7.8 µm. 
A)  7.1 µm. 
B)  7.4 µm. 
C)  6.5 µm. 
D)  6.8 µm. 
E)  7.8 µm.

Question 14

Light of wavelength 500 nm illuminates parallel slits and produces an interference pattern on a screen that is 1 m from the slits. In terms of the initial intensity I0, the light's intensity in the interference pattern at a point for which the path difference is 100 nm is

Accepted Answer

A)  2.62 I0. 
B)  2.87 I0.  
C)  3.08 I0.  
D)  3.31 I0.  
E)  4.39 I0.  
A)  2.62 I0. 
B)  2.87 I0.  
C)  3.08 I0.  
D)  3.31 I0.  
E)  4.39 I0.

Question 15

The interference pattern is from a convex lens placed on a flat reflecting surface using a monochromatic light of wavelength λ = 550 nm. The distance between the lens and the flat surface at position A is

Accepted Answer

A)  275 nm. 
B)  550 nm. 
C)  687.5 nm. 
D)  825 nm. 
E)  962.5 nm. 
A)  275 nm. 
B)  550 nm. 
C)  687.5 nm. 
D)  825 nm. 
E)  962.5 nm.

Question 16

A light ray makes an angle of 42º with the normal to a glass-water surface on the glass side of the surface. The angle θ in the water is

Accepted Answer

A)  42º. 
B)  36º. 
C)  63º. 
D)  49º. 
E)  27º. 
A)  42º. 
B)  36º. 
C)  63º. 
D)  49º. 
E)  27º.

Question 17

The photon energy for light of wavelength 500 nm is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  1.77 eV. 
B)  3.10 eV. 
C)  6.20 eV. 
D)  2.48 eV. 
E)  5.46 eV. 
A)  1.77 eV. 
B)  3.10 eV. 
C)  6.20 eV. 
D)  2.48 eV. 
E)  5.46 eV.

Question 18

The angle of incidence   that will cause the unpolarized light to be reflected as completely plane-polarized light is called

Accepted Answer

A)  Brewster's angle. 
B)  Young's angle. 
C)  Snell's angle. 
D)  Huygens' angle. 
E)  Fraunhofer's angle. 
A)  Brewster's angle. 
B)  Young's angle. 
C)  Snell's angle. 
D)  Huygens' angle. 
E)  Fraunhofer's angle.

Question 19

The dependence of the index of refraction on wavelength is called dispersion. A beam of light in air) containing red and blue light is incident at an angle of 35° on a glass plate that has an index of refraction of 1.64 for blue light and 1.61 for red light. By what percent does the speed of the red light exceed that of the blue light inside the glass, i.e., calculate vred)-vblue) ) * 100 / vred)?

Accepted Answer

A)  1.1% 
B)  1.8% 
C)  0.53% 
D)  The speed is the same for both colors. 
E)  0.019% 
A)  1.1% 
B)  1.8% 
C)  0.53% 
D)  The speed is the same for both colors. 
E)  0.019%

Question 20

A wedge-shaped film of air is formed by placing a glass plate on a second flat glass plate. The wedge is then illuminated using a monochromatic light from above and a fringe pattern is shown. From the fringe pattern one can conclude that the surface of the first glass plate is

Accepted Answer

A)  much flatter than the wavelength used. 
B)  flat on the left side but then has a concave to the right side. 
C)  flat on the left side but then has a convex to the right side. 
D)  flat on the right side but then has a concave to the left side. 
E)  flat on the right side but then has a convex to the left side. 
A)  much flatter than the wavelength used. 
B)  flat on the left side but then has a concave to the right side. 
C)  flat on the left side but then has a convex to the right side. 
D)  flat on the right side but then has a concave to the left side. 
E)  flat on the right side but then has a convex to the left side.

Exam 23: Wave Properties of Light

The principle of superposition states:

Two clear but non-mixing liquids each of depth 15 cm are placed together in a glass container. The liquids have refractive indices of 1.75 and 1.33. What is the apparent depth of the combination when viewed from above?

Huygens' theory for the construction of wavefronts states that

The speed of yellow sodium light in a certain liquid is 1.92 × 108 m/s. With respect to air, the index of refraction of this liquid for sodium light is approximately

A 60° prism has a refractive index of 1.71. Calculate the angle of emergence out of the prism for a ray that enters one side at an angle almost parallel to one face, i.e. at 90° to the normal.

A narrow, horizontal slit is 0.50 mm above a horizontal plane mirror. The slit is illuminated by light of wavelength 400 nm. The interference pattern is viewed on a screen 10.0 m from the slit. What is the vertical distance from the mirror to the first bright line?

Two slits of width a = 0.020 mm are separated by a distance d = 0.05 mm and illuminated by light of wavelength λ = 500 nm. The number of bright fringes seen in the central maximum is

A light wave is like a sound wave in that both

Two optically flat plates lie one on top of the other. A sheet of paper 0.1 mm thick is inserted between the plates at one edge. When the plates are illuminated by light of wavelength 589 nm, the number of interference fringes observed by reflected light is approximately

Light traveling in a transparent medium with an index of refraction n1 is incident on a transparent boundary with a second transparent medium with an index n2. Very little light is transmitted into the second medium. Which of the following statements must be true?

When a parallel beam of light is diffracted at a single slit,

Two side-by-side coherent light sources radiate at 600 nm. The phase difference between these two sources at a point in space is 0.582 radians. The path difference between the two sources could be

Light of wavelength 500 nm illuminates parallel slits and produces an interference pattern on a screen that is 1 m from the slits. In terms of the initial intensity I0, the light's intensity in the interference pattern at a point for which the path difference is 100 nm is

The interference pattern is from a convex lens placed on a flat reflecting surface using a monochromatic light of wavelength λ = 550 nm. The distance between the lens and the flat surface at position A is

A light ray makes an angle of 42º with the normal to a glass-water surface on the glass side of the surface. The angle θ in the water is

The photon energy for light of wavelength 500 nm is approximately

The angle of incidence that will cause the unpolarized light to be reflected as completely plane-polarized light is called

A wedge-shaped film of air is formed by placing a glass plate on a second flat glass plate. The wedge is then illuminated using a monochromatic light from above and a fringe pattern is shown. From the fringe pattern one can conclude that the surface of the first glass plate is

Introduction to Physics

Linear Motion

Motion in Two and Three Dimensions

Forces and Motion I: Newtons Laws

Forces and Motion II: Applications

Work and Energy

Momentum, Collisions, and the Center of Mass

Rotational Motion

Elastic Properties of Matter: Stress and Strain

Gravitation

Fluids

Oscillations

Waves

Thermodynamics I

Thermodynamics II

Electrostatics I: Electric Charge, Forces, and Fields

Electrostatics II: Electric Potential Energy and Electric Potential

Electric Charges in Motion

Magnetism

Electromagnetic Induction

Alternating-Current Circuits

Electromagnetic Waves

Geometrical Optics

Relativity

Quantum Physics and Atomic Structure

Nuclear Physics

Particle Physics

Filters

The speed of yellow sodium light in a certain liquid is 1.92 × 10⁸ m/s. With respect to air, the index of refraction of this liquid for sodium light is approximately

Light traveling in a transparent medium with an index of refraction n₁ is incident on a transparent boundary with a second transparent medium with an index n₂. Very little light is transmitted into the second medium. Which of the following statements must be true?

Light of wavelength 500 nm illuminates parallel slits and produces an interference pattern on a screen that is 1 m from the slits. In terms of the initial intensity I₀, the light's intensity in the interference pattern at a point for which the path difference is 100 nm is