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Experiment

This experiment aims to determine the wavelength of sodium light using Newton's ring interference pattern. Light from a sodium lamp passes through a convex lens and is reflected between the lens and a glass plate, forming circular interference fringes called Newton's rings. The diameters of several rings are measured using a microscope. The radius of curvature of the convex lens is also measured. A graph of ring diameter squared versus ring order is plotted and the slope is used to calculate the wavelength of light, along with the measured radius. Potential sources of error are also analyzed.

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Nilaksh Pundir
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95 views

Experiment

This experiment aims to determine the wavelength of sodium light using Newton's ring interference pattern. Light from a sodium lamp passes through a convex lens and is reflected between the lens and a glass plate, forming circular interference fringes called Newton's rings. The diameters of several rings are measured using a microscope. The radius of curvature of the convex lens is also measured. A graph of ring diameter squared versus ring order is plotted and the slope is used to calculate the wavelength of light, along with the measured radius. Potential sources of error are also analyzed.

Uploaded by

Nilaksh Pundir
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Experiment 11: Interference by Newton’s Ring Experiment

A. Objective of the experiment: To determine the wavelength of a monochromatic light


(sodium light) using Newton’s ring interference pattern.

B. Apparatus:

Figure 1: Experimental set-up and schematic ray diagram (Indosaw S008)

C. Theory and Background:

As shown in the figure 2, a Plano convex lens is mounted on a glass plate. As the convex
surface is in contact with the flat glass plate a wedge shaped air film of variable thickness is
formed. Monochromatic light from an extended light source (sodium lamp) is converted into
parallel beam by using a convex lens (figure 1).Then the beam is allowed to fall on an optically
plane glass plate inclined at an angle 45 degree to the vertical where it gets reflected on to the
Plano convex lens.

Figure 2: Circular fringes showing interference pattern.

1
Newton’s rings are formed due to the interference of light reflected from the upper and
lower surface of the wedge shaped air film.Rings can be seen through the travelling Microscope.

Let R be the radius of curvature of the convex surface of the lens, and Dn be the diameter
of the nth Newton’s ring. Then, Dn2  4nR , Where  is the wavelength of the
monochromatic light used.

D. Procedure:

1. Find the least count of the microscopic scale.

2. Clean the surface of the glass plate and the convex lens and place them as stated above (i.e.
first put the glass plate then put the Plano convex lens above the glass plate such that the
convex surface touches the glass plate).

3. Switch on the sodium lamp and wait for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Adjust the microscope to see the Newton’s rings clearly.

5. Measure the diameter of different rings. Like, first place the crosswire on the left side of the
20th dark ring. Note the reading from the microscopic scale (Microscope reading=main scale
reading+vernier scale reading*least count). Move the cursor towards right to get readings of
the left side of 18th, 16th,…….4th ring. Then move the crosswire to the other side of the
central dark ring to get the reading of the right side of the 4th, 6th…..20th dark ring. Repeat the
procedure for the reverse direction (i.e. moving the cursor towards left from the right side of
the 20th dark ring) .

6. Remove the Plano convex lens and find the radius of curvature of its convex surface by
using a spherometer. Spherometer has three legs. Measure the distance between the first leg
and the second leg (L1) then between second and the third (L2) and then first and the third
(L3). Mean (L) distance

L= (L1+L2+L3)/3

The radius of curvature can be determined from the formula


L2
R  0.5h ,
6h
where h is the height at the centre of the convex surface.

E. Observations:
1. Determination of least count of the microscopic scale:
2. Table for determining the diameter of the rings:

2
Ring no. Microscope reading Diameter Microscope reading Diametec Mean
crosswire going b-a (cm) crosswire going -d (cm) diameter
from left to right from right to left (cm)
Left (a) Right Right Left (d)
(b) (c)
20
18

3. Determination of the radius of curvature of the convex lens using spherometer:

Table to calculate h:

Sl.no. Spherometer reading h=a-b ; a>b mean


=100+(a-b) ; a<b
Convex surface(a Plane surface(b cm)
cm)
1
2

Now, calculate R using the above formula.

Data to plot Dn2 vs. n graph

Order of ring Dn Dn2


20
18
---

F. Calculation of the wavelength using the graph:

Slope of the straight line is = CD/DE


From the relation Dn2  4nR we get, slope= 4R
Thus CD/DE = 4R , hence one can easily calculate  .

G. Error analysis:
Etimate the maximum possible error Δ λ by differentiating the formula for λ.

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