Question 1

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 2

Light of wavelength 600 nm is incident upon a single slit with width 4 × 10-4 m. The figure shows the pattern observed on a screen positioned 2 m from the slits. Determine the distance s.

Accepted Answer

A) 0.002 m 
B) 0.003 m 
C) 0.004 m 
D) 0.006 m 
E) 0.008 m

Question 3

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

Question 4

Light of wavelength 650 nm is incident normally upon a glass plate. The glass plate rests on top of a second plate so that they touch at one end and are separated by 0.0325 mm at the other end as shown in the figure. Which range of values contains the horizontal separation between adjacent bright fringes?

Accepted Answer

A) 1.1 mm to 1.4 mm 
B) 1.4 mm to 2.8 mm 
C) 2.8 mm to 4.2 mm 
D) 4.2 mm to 5.6 mm 
E) 5.6 mm to 7.0 mm

Question 5

Red laser light passes through a single slit to form a diffraction pattern. If the width of the slit is increased by a factor of two, what happens to the width of the central maximum? Note: Assume that the angle $\theta$ is sufficiently small so that (sin $\theta$) is nearly equal to $\theta$.

Accepted Answer

A) The width of the central maximum increases by a factor of 4. 
B) The width of the central maximum decreases by a factor of 2. 
C) The width of the central maximum decreases by a factor of 4. 
D) The width of the central maximum increases by a factor of 2. 
E) The width of the central maximum does not change.

Question 6

The headlights of a car are 1.6 m apart and produce light of wavelength 575 nm in vacuum. The pupil of the eye of the observer has a diameter of 4.0 mm and a refractive index of 1.4. What is the maximum distance from the observer that the two headlights can be distinguished?

Accepted Answer

A) 8.0 km 
B) 9.1 km 
C) 11 km 
D) 13 km 
E) 16 km

Question 7

In two separate double slit experiments, an interference pattern is observed on a screen. In the first experiment, violet light ($\lambda$= 708 nm) is used and a second-order bright fringe occurs at the same location as a third-order dark fringe in the second experiment. Determine the wavelength of the light used in the second experiment.

Accepted Answer

A) 1320 nm 
B) 862 nm 
C) 503 nm 
D) 431 nm 
E) 495 nm

Question 8

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 9

The figure shows the interference pattern obtained in a double-slit experiment using light of wavelength 600 nm.
v 
-Which one of the following phenomena would be observed if the wavelength of light were increased?

Accepted Answer

A) The fringes would be brighter. 
B) More bright fringes would appear on the screen. 
C) The distance between dark fringes would decrease. 
D) Single-slit diffraction effects would become non-negligible. 
E) The angular separation between bright fringes would increase.

Question 10

Which one of the following statements best explains why the diffraction of sound is more apparent than the diffraction of light under most circumstances?

Accepted Answer

A) Sound requires a physical medium for propagation. 
B) Sound waves are longitudinal, and light waves are transverse. 
C) Light waves can be represented by rays while sound waves cannot. 
D) The speed of sound in air is six orders of magnitude smaller than that of light. 
E) The wavelength of light is considerably smaller than the wavelength of sound.

Question 11

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 12

Complete the following sentence: The term coherence relates to

Accepted Answer

A) the phase relationship between two waves. 
B) the polarization state of two waves. 
C) the diffraction of two waves. 
D) the amplitude of two waves. 
E) the frequency of two waves.

Question 13

The figure shows the interference pattern obtained in a double-slit experiment using light of wavelength 600 nm.
v 
-Which fringe is the third order maximum?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 14

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 15

A spy satellite is in orbit at a distance of 1.0 × 106 m above the ground. It carries a telescope that can resolve the two rails of a railroad track that are 1.4 m apart using light of wavelength 600 nm. Which one of the following statements best describes the diameter of the lens in the telescope?

Accepted Answer

A) It is less than 0.14 m. 
B) It is greater than 0.14 m and less than 0.23 m. 
C) It is greater than 0.23 m and less than 0.35 m. 
D) It is greater than 0.35 m and less than 0.52 m. 
E) It is greater than 0.52 m.

Question 16

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 17

Which one of the following statements provides the most convincing evidence that visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation?

Accepted Answer

A) Two light sources can be coherent. 
B) Light can be reflected from a surface. 
C) Light can be diffracted through an aperture. 
D) Light can form a double-slit interference pattern. 
E) Light travels through vacuum at the same speed as X-rays.

Question 18

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 19

Visible light of wavelength 589 nm is incident on a diffraction grating that has 3500 lines/cm. At what angle with respect to the central maximum is the fifth order maximum observed?

Accepted Answer

A) 17.9° 
B) 23.8° 
C) 35.7° 
D) 71.3° 
E) A fifth order maximum cannot be observed.

Question 20

The figure shows the interference pattern obtained in a double-slit experiment using light of wavelength 600 nm.
v 
-Which fringe is 300 nm closer to one slit than to the other?

Accepted Answer

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

Exam 27: Interference and the Wave Nature of Light

Light of wavelength 600 nm is incident upon a single slit with width 4 × 10^-⁴ m. The figure shows the pattern observed on a screen positioned 2 m from the slits. Determine the distance s.

Red laser light passes through a single slit to form a diffraction pattern. If the width of the slit is increased by a factor of two, what happens to the width of the central maximum? Note: Assume that the angle $\theta$ is sufficiently small so that (sin $\theta$ ) is nearly equal to $\theta$ .

The headlights of a car are 1.6 m apart and produce light of wavelength 575 nm in vacuum. The pupil of the eye of the observer has a diameter of 4.0 mm and a refractive index of 1.4. What is the maximum distance from the observer that the two headlights can be distinguished?

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?

Which one of the following statements best explains why the diffraction of sound is more apparent than the diffraction of light under most circumstances?

Complete the following sentence: The term coherence relates to

The figure shows the interference pattern obtained in a double-slit experiment using light of wavelength 600 nm. v -Which fringe is the third order maximum?

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?

Which one of the following statements provides the most convincing evidence that visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation?

Visible light of wavelength 589 nm is incident on a diffraction grating that has 3500 lines/cm. At what angle with respect to the central maximum is the fifth order maximum observed?

The figure shows the interference pattern obtained in a double-slit experiment using light of wavelength 600 nm. v -Which fringe is 300 nm closer to one slit than to the other?

Exam 27: Interference and the Wave Nature of Light

Light of wavelength 600 nm is incident upon a single slit with width 4 × 10-4 m. The figure shows the pattern observed on a screen positioned 2 m from the slits. Determine the distance s.

The headlights of a car are 1.6 m apart and produce light of wavelength 575 nm in vacuum. The pupil of the eye of the observer has a diameter of 4.0 mm and a refractive index of 1.4. What is the maximum distance from the observer that the two headlights can be distinguished?

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?

The figure shows the interference pattern obtained in a double-slit experiment using light of wavelength 600 nm. v -Which one of the following phenomena would be observed if the wavelength of light were increased?

Which one of the following statements best explains why the diffraction of sound is more apparent than the diffraction of light under most circumstances?

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.

Complete the following sentence: The term coherence relates to

The figure shows the interference pattern obtained in a double-slit experiment using light of wavelength 600 nm. v -Which fringe is the third order maximum?

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?

Which one of the following statements provides the most convincing evidence that visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation?

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?

Visible light of wavelength 589 nm is incident on a diffraction grating that has 3500 lines/cm. At what angle with respect to the central maximum is the fifth order maximum observed?

The figure shows the interference pattern obtained in a double-slit experiment using light of wavelength 600 nm. v -Which fringe is 300 nm closer to one slit than to the other?

Light of wavelength 600 nm is incident upon a single slit with width 4 × 10^-⁴ m. The figure shows the pattern observed on a screen positioned 2 m from the slits. Determine the distance s.

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?