Exam 24: Physical Optics: The Wave Nature of Light

In a double-slit experiment, it is observed that the distance between adjacent maxima on a remote screen is 1 cm. What happens to the distance between adjacent maxima when the slit separation is cut in half?

The path difference for destructive interference is m $\lambda$ /2 where

How do interference and diffraction differ? How are they similar?

Monochromatic light from a distant source is incident on two parallel narrow slits. After passing through the slits the light strikes a screen, as shown in Figure 24-1. What will be the nature of the pattern of light observed on the screen?

Discuss a similarity and a difference between the spectrum formed by a diffraction grating (a large number of slits) and that formed by just a double slit.

A polarizer (with its preferred direction rotated 30° to the vertical) is placed in a beam of unpolarized light of intensity 1. After passing through the polarizer, the beam's intensity is

Consider 550. nm light passing through 2 narrow slits 2.10 micro-meters apart. The 1st and 2nd order fringes are 1.00 mm apart on a distant screen. How far apart are the 2nd and 3rd order fringes?

The experiments of what person first clearly demonstrated the wave nature of light?

What is the slit spacing of a diffraction necessary for a 600 nm light to have a first order principal maximum at 25.0°?

Rayleigh scattering would have 400. nm light be scattered how many times as much as 800. nm light?

Another name for the POLARIZING ANGLE is the

In single-slit diffraction

The sky appears "blue" because of

Consider an oil film (n = 1.50) on water (n = 1.33) and 600. nm incident light. The minimum film thickness for constructive interference is

The polarization of sunlight is greatest at

In terms of the wavelength of light in soapy water, what is the minimum thickness of soap film that will reflect a given wavelength of light?

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) depend upon which of the following for their operation?

A glass plate 2.5 cm long is separated from another glass plate by a strand of someone's hair (diameter 0.010 mm). How far apart are the adjacent interference bands when viewed with light of wavelength 600 nm?

Light of wavelength $\lambda$ = 540 nm passes through a pair of slits with separation 3.4 × 10^-5 m. What is the angle corresponding to the second bright fringe?

A ray of light traveling in water (n = 1.33) hits a glass surface (n = 1.50). At what angle, with the surface, must the incident ray be in order that the polarization of the reflected ray is the greatest?