Question 1

The figure shows the interference pattern produced when light of wavelength 500 nm is incident on two slits.Fringe A is equally distant from each slit.By what distance is fringe B closer to one slit than the other?

Accepted Answer

A) 250 nm 
B) 500 nm 
C) 750 nm 
D) 1000 nm 
E) 1500 nm

Question 2

A 30.0-mm wide diffraction grating produces a deviation of 30.0° in the second order principal maxima.The wavelength of light is 600.0 nm.What is the total number of slits on the grating?

Accepted Answer

A) 10 000 
B) 11 500 
C) 12 500 
D) 14 000 
E) 15 000

Question 3

A diffraction grating that has 4500 lines/cm is illuminated by light that has a single wavelength.If a second order maximum is observed at an angle of 42° with respect to the central maximum, what is the wavelength of this light?

Accepted Answer

A) 1500 nm 
B) 370 nm 
C) 930 nm 
D) 1100 nm 
E) 740 nm

Question 4

Two identical light waves, A and B, are emitted from different sources and meet at a point P.The distance from the source of A to the point P is LA; and the source of B is a distance LB from P.Which one of the following statements is necessarily true concerning the interference of the two waves?

Accepted Answer

A) A and B will interfere constructively because their amplitudes are the same. 
B) A and B will interfere constructively if LA = LB. 
C) A and B will interfere destructively if LA - LB = m$\lambda$ where m = 0, 1, 2, 3, ... 
D) A and B will interfere destructively if LA is not equal to LB. 
E) A and B will interfere constructively because their wavelengths are the same.

Question 5

In a Young's double slit experiment, the separation between the slits is 1.20 × 10-4 m; and the screen is located 3.50 m from the slits.The distance between the central bright fringe and the second-order bright fringe is 0.0375 m.What is the wavelength of the light used in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

A) 428 nm 
B) 474 nm 
C) 517 nm 
D) 642 nm 
E) 711 nm

Question 6

A portion of a soap bubble appears yellow ($\lambda$ = 588.0 nm in vacuum) when viewed at normal incidence in white light.Determine the two smallest, non-zero thicknesses for the soap film if its index of refraction is 1.40.

Accepted Answer

A) 89 nm and 179 nm 
B) 89 nm and 268 nm 
C) 105 nm and 315 nm 
D) 125 nm and 375 nm. 
E) 170 nm and 536 nm

Question 7

A Michelson interferometer is used to measure the wavelength of light emitted from a monochromatic source.As the adjustable mirror is slowly moved through a distance DA = 0.0265 mm, an observer counts 411 alternations between bright and dark fields.What is the wavelength of the monochromatic light used in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

A) 193 nm 
B) 227 nm 
C) 258 nm 
D) 346 nm 
E) 369 nm

Question 8

The table lists the range of wavelengths in vacuum corresponding to a given color.Which one of these colors will produce a diffraction pattern with the widest central maximum, assuming all other factors are equal?

Accepted Answer

A) red 
B) yellow 
C) green 
D) blue 
E) violet

Question 9

A lens that has an index of refraction of 1.61 is coated with a non-reflective coating that has an index of refraction of 1.45.Determine the minimum thickness for the film if it is to be non-reflecting for light of wavelength 5.60 × 102 nm.

Accepted Answer

A) 1.93 × 10-7 m 
B) 3.86 × 10-7 m 
C) 4.83 × 10-8 m 
D) 9.66 × 10-8 m 
E) 8.69 × 10-8 m

Question 10

Two slits are separated by 2.00 × 10-5 m.They are illuminated by light of wavelength 5.60 × 10-7 m.If the distance from the slits to the screen is 6.00 m, what is the separation between the central bright fringe and the third dark fringe?

Accepted Answer

A) 0.421 m 
B) 0.224 m 
C) 0.168 m 
D) 0.084 m 
E) 0.070 m

Question 11

What does one observe on the screen in a Young's experiment if white light illuminates the double slit instead of light of a single wavelength?

Accepted Answer

A) a white central fringe and no other fringes 
B) a dark central fringe and a series of alternating white and dark fringes on each side of the center 
C) a white central fringe and a series of colored and dark fringes on each side of the center 
D) a continuous band of colors with no dark fringes anywhere 
E) a dark screen since no constructive interference can occur

Question 12

Two slits separated by 2.00 × 10-5 m are illuminated by light of wavelength 625 nm.If the screen is 6.00 m from the slits, what is the distance between the m = 0 and m = 1 bright fringes?

Accepted Answer

A) 18.8 cm 
B) 12.5 cm 
C) 15.6 cm 
D) 20.3 cm 
E) 21.4 cm

Question 13

When light with a wavelength of 425 nm uniformly illuminates a single slit, the central bright fringe, observed on a screen located 0.630 m from the slit, has a width of 0.0166 m.What is the width of the slit?

Accepted Answer

A) 1.61 × 10-5 m 
B) 3.23 × 10-5 m 
C) 4.84 × 10-5 m 
D) 8.07 × 10-5 m 
E) 1.09 × 10-4 m

Question 14

Which one of the following statements best explains why interference patterns are not usually observed for light from two ordinary light bulbs?

Accepted Answer

A) Diffraction effects predominate. 
B) The two sources are out of phase. 
C) The two sources are not coherent. 
D) The interference pattern is too small to observe. 
E) Light from ordinary light bulbs is not polarized.

Question 15

A 4.0 × 102-nm thick film of kerosene (n = 1.2) is floating on water.White light is normally incident on the film.What is the visible wavelength in air that has a maximum intensity after the light is reflected? Note: the visible wavelength range is 380 nm to 750 nm.

Accepted Answer

A) 380 nm 
B) 420 nm 
C) 480 nm 
D) 530 nm 
E) 601 nm

Question 16

Light from a laser ($\lambda$= 640 nm) passes through a diffraction grating and spreads out into three beams as shown in the figure.Determine the spacing between the slits of the grating.

Accepted Answer

A) 240 nm 
B) 410 nm 
C) 500 nm 
D) 680 nm 
E) 800 nm

Question 17

A beam of light that consists of a mixture of red light ($\lambda$ = 660 nm in vacuum) and violet light ($\lambda$ = 410 nm in vacuum) falls on a grating that contains 1.0 × 104 lines/cm.Find the angular separation between the first-order maxima of the two wavelengths if the experiment takes place in a vacuum.

Accepted Answer

A) 11° 
B) 17° 
C) 24° 
D) 41° 
E) 65°

Question 18

Light of wavelength 530 nm is incident on two slits that are spaced 1.0 mm apart.If each of the slits has a width of 0.10 mm, how many interference maxima lie within the central diffraction peak?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 
B) 4 
C) 12 
D) 21 
E) infinity

Question 19

The table lists the range of wavelengths in vacuum corresponding to a given color.If light one illuminates a film that has a refractive index of 1.333 and thickness of 183 nm with white light, which color is missing from the light reflected from the film?

Accepted Answer

A) red 
B) yellow 
C) blue 
D) green 
E) orange

Question 20

Diffraction occurs when light passes through a single slit.Rank the following three choices in decreasing order, according to the extent of the diffraction that occurs (largest diffraction first):  Note: The blue light referred to in choices A and C is the same wavelength.Also, the narrow slit referred to in choices A and B is the same width.

Accepted Answer

A) A, B, C 
B) B, A, C 
C) C, A, B 
D) A, C, B 
E) B, C, A

Exam 27: Interference and the Wave Nature of Light

The figure shows the interference pattern produced when light of wavelength 500 nm is incident on two slits.Fringe A is equally distant from each slit.By what distance is fringe B closer to one slit than the other?

A 30.0-mm wide diffraction grating produces a deviation of 30.0° in the second order principal maxima.The wavelength of light is 600.0 nm.What is the total number of slits on the grating?

A diffraction grating that has 4500 lines/cm is illuminated by light that has a single wavelength.If a second order maximum is observed at an angle of 42° with respect to the central maximum, what is the wavelength of this light?

Two identical light waves, A and B, are emitted from different sources and meet at a point P.The distance from the source of A to the point P is L_A; and the source of B is a distance L_B from P.Which one of the following statements is necessarily true concerning the interference of the two waves?

In a Young's double slit experiment, the separation between the slits is 1.20 × 10^-⁴ m; and the screen is located 3.50 m from the slits.The distance between the central bright fringe and the second-order bright fringe is 0.0375 m.What is the wavelength of the light used in this experiment?

A portion of a soap bubble appears yellow ( $\lambda$ = 588.0 nm in vacuum) when viewed at normal incidence in white light.Determine the two smallest, non-zero thicknesses for the soap film if its index of refraction is 1.40.

A lens that has an index of refraction of 1.61 is coated with a non-reflective coating that has an index of refraction of 1.45.Determine the minimum thickness for the film if it is to be non-reflecting for light of wavelength 5.60 × 10²nm.

Two slits are separated by 2.00 × 10^-⁵ m.They are illuminated by light of wavelength 5.60 × 10^-⁷m.If the distance from the slits to the screen is 6.00 m, what is the separation between the central bright fringe and the third dark fringe?

What does one observe on the screen in a Young's experiment if white light illuminates the double slit instead of light of a single wavelength?

Two slits separated by 2.00 × 10^-⁵m are illuminated by light of wavelength 625 nm.If the screen is 6.00 m from the slits, what is the distance between the m = 0 and m = 1 bright fringes?

When light with a wavelength of 425 nm uniformly illuminates a single slit, the central bright fringe, observed on a screen located 0.630 m from the slit, has a width of 0.0166 m.What is the width of the slit?

Which one of the following statements best explains why interference patterns are not usually observed for light from two ordinary light bulbs?

A 4.0 × 10²-nm thick film of kerosene (n = 1.2) is floating on water.White light is normally incident on the film.What is the visible wavelength in air that has a maximum intensity after the light is reflected? Note: the visible wavelength range is 380 nm to 750 nm.

Light of wavelength 530 nm is incident on two slits that are spaced 1.0 mm apart.If each of the slits has a width of 0.10 mm, how many interference maxima lie within the central diffraction peak?

Exam 27: Interference and the Wave Nature of Light

The figure shows the interference pattern produced when light of wavelength 500 nm is incident on two slits.Fringe A is equally distant from each slit.By what distance is fringe B closer to one slit than the other?

A 30.0-mm wide diffraction grating produces a deviation of 30.0° in the second order principal maxima.The wavelength of light is 600.0 nm.What is the total number of slits on the grating?

A diffraction grating that has 4500 lines/cm is illuminated by light that has a single wavelength.If a second order maximum is observed at an angle of 42° with respect to the central maximum, what is the wavelength of this light?

Two identical light waves, A and B, are emitted from different sources and meet at a point P.The distance from the source of A to the point P is LA; and the source of B is a distance LB from P.Which one of the following statements is necessarily true concerning the interference of the two waves?

In a Young's double slit experiment, the separation between the slits is 1.20 × 10-4 m; and the screen is located 3.50 m from the slits.The distance between the central bright fringe and the second-order bright fringe is 0.0375 m.What is the wavelength of the light used in this experiment?

A portion of a soap bubble appears yellow ( λ\lambdaλ = 588.0 nm in vacuum) when viewed at normal incidence in white light.Determine the two smallest, non-zero thicknesses for the soap film if its index of refraction is 1.40.

The table lists the range of wavelengths in vacuum corresponding to a given color.Which one of these colors will produce a diffraction pattern with the widest central maximum, assuming all other factors are equal?

A lens that has an index of refraction of 1.61 is coated with a non-reflective coating that has an index of refraction of 1.45.Determine the minimum thickness for the film if it is to be non-reflecting for light of wavelength 5.60 × 102 nm.

Two slits are separated by 2.00 × 10-5 m.They are illuminated by light of wavelength 5.60 × 10-7 m.If the distance from the slits to the screen is 6.00 m, what is the separation between the central bright fringe and the third dark fringe?

What does one observe on the screen in a Young's experiment if white light illuminates the double slit instead of light of a single wavelength?

Two slits separated by 2.00 × 10-5 m are illuminated by light of wavelength 625 nm.If the screen is 6.00 m from the slits, what is the distance between the m = 0 and m = 1 bright fringes?

When light with a wavelength of 425 nm uniformly illuminates a single slit, the central bright fringe, observed on a screen located 0.630 m from the slit, has a width of 0.0166 m.What is the width of the slit?

Which one of the following statements best explains why interference patterns are not usually observed for light from two ordinary light bulbs?

A 4.0 × 102-nm thick film of kerosene (n = 1.2) is floating on water.White light is normally incident on the film.What is the visible wavelength in air that has a maximum intensity after the light is reflected? Note: the visible wavelength range is 380 nm to 750 nm.

Light from a laser ( λ\lambdaλ = 640 nm) passes through a diffraction grating and spreads out into three beams as shown in the figure.Determine the spacing between the slits of the grating.

Light of wavelength 530 nm is incident on two slits that are spaced 1.0 mm apart.If each of the slits has a width of 0.10 mm, how many interference maxima lie within the central diffraction peak?

The table lists the range of wavelengths in vacuum corresponding to a given color.If light one illuminates a film that has a refractive index of 1.333 and thickness of 183 nm with white light, which color is missing from the light reflected from the film?

Two identical light waves, A and B, are emitted from different sources and meet at a point P.The distance from the source of A to the point P is L_A; and the source of B is a distance L_B from P.Which one of the following statements is necessarily true concerning the interference of the two waves?

In a Young's double slit experiment, the separation between the slits is 1.20 × 10^-⁴ m; and the screen is located 3.50 m from the slits.The distance between the central bright fringe and the second-order bright fringe is 0.0375 m.What is the wavelength of the light used in this experiment?

A portion of a soap bubble appears yellow ( $\lambda$ = 588.0 nm in vacuum) when viewed at normal incidence in white light.Determine the two smallest, non-zero thicknesses for the soap film if its index of refraction is 1.40.

A lens that has an index of refraction of 1.61 is coated with a non-reflective coating that has an index of refraction of 1.45.Determine the minimum thickness for the film if it is to be non-reflecting for light of wavelength 5.60 × 10²nm.

Two slits are separated by 2.00 × 10^-⁵ m.They are illuminated by light of wavelength 5.60 × 10^-⁷m.If the distance from the slits to the screen is 6.00 m, what is the separation between the central bright fringe and the third dark fringe?

Two slits separated by 2.00 × 10^-⁵m are illuminated by light of wavelength 625 nm.If the screen is 6.00 m from the slits, what is the distance between the m = 0 and m = 1 bright fringes?

A 4.0 × 10²-nm thick film of kerosene (n = 1.2) is floating on water.White light is normally incident on the film.What is the visible wavelength in air that has a maximum intensity after the light is reflected? Note: the visible wavelength range is 380 nm to 750 nm.