PRESIDIUM INDIRAPURAM

ASSIGNMENT: 2
TOPIC: WAVE OPTICS
STD: XII SUB: PHYSICS
Q.1 Define a wavefront. How is it different from a ray? [2]
Q.2 Using Huygens’s construction of secondary wavelets draw a diagram showing the passage of a [2]
plane wavefront from a denser to a rarer medium. Using it verify Snell’s law.
Q.3 In a double slit experiment using light of wavelength 600nm and the angular width of the fringe [2]
formed on a distant screen is 0.1°. Find the spacing between the two slits.
Q.4 Write two differences between interference pattern and diffraction pattern. [2]
Q.5 In a Young’s double -slit experiment, the slits are separated by 0.28 mm and the screen is [2]
placed 1.4 m away. The distance between the central bright fringe and the fourth bright fringe
is measured to be 1.2 cm. Determine the wavelength of light used in the experiment.
Q.6 A red light of wavelength λ passes through a single slit of width w and produces a diffraction [2]
pattern on the screen. If the red light is replaced by the green light of wavelength 0.75λ, find
the slit width required so as to keep the diffraction pattern for green light the same as that of the
red light.
Q.7 Find the wavelength of the light that produces the first minimum at an angle of 30o through a [2]
Narrow slit of width 0.8 μm.
Q.8 State the formula for the width of the central maximum of the single slit diffraction pattern. [2]
What will be the impact on the width of the central maximum if the whole of the diffraction
apparatus is immersed in a liquid of refractive index n? Explain.
Q.9 (a) A Young’s double slit setup is illuminated with monochromatic light. If the intensity of light [5]
passing through one of the slits is reduced, explain the changes that can be seen in the appearance
of the bright and dark fringes?
(b) (i) A single slit diffraction setup is illuminated with green light of wavelength 500 nm. If the
width of the slit is 1 mm and the screen is 2 m away from the slits, calculate the width of the
central maximum.
(ii) What will happen to the width of the central maximum, if the green light is replaced with the
red light? Give a reason for your answer.
(c) A student wishes to study the diffraction of sound using the single slit setup. He replaces the
light source with a sound source. What other change should he do to study the diffraction pattern?
Q.10 Assertion (A): Interference pattern has all maxima that are equally bright and bands are large in [1]
number in comparison to the diffraction pattern that has maxima of decreasing intensity and
fewer in number.
Reason (R): Interference is the result of the superposition of the waves from two different
wavefronts whereas diffraction is the result of the superposition of the wavelets from different
points of the same wavefront.
A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
B. Both A and R are true and R is NOT the correct explanation of A
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false and R is also false
Q.11 Under ideal conditions, consider two different sources of light producing identical waves that [1]
Happen to be in phase with each other. The two sources are placed at the corners of a square.
They broadcast waves uniformly in all directions.
Which of the following locations of the two sources will ensure that the waves always produce
constructive interference at the center of the square?
A. any two corners of the square
B. only the adjacent corners of the square
C. only corners across the diagonal of the square
 D. one source at the corner and the other at the center
Q.12 Estimate the number of dark fringes on the either side of the central maximum that can be [2]
Produced by diffraction set up with slit of width 5 x 10-6 m and incident light of wavelength
600 nm.
Q.13 (a) The interference pattern due to light shows bright and dark regions that appear similar to [5]
the antinodes and nodes of a standing-wave pattern on a string. While both the patterns are
based on the superposition principle, give one major point of difference between the standing
waves pattern and the interference pattern.

(b) Given two sets of slits S1 and S2.

Also given are two possible incident light wavelengths λ1 and λ2.

State with reason for what combination of the slits and wavelengths will the interference pattern
be:
i. most spread out
ii. least spread out?
(c) Determine the value of y at which the intensity of the fringe reduced to half the intensity of
the central maxima formed at point O.
Q.14 State Huygens principle. A plane wave is incident at an angle i on a reflecting [2]
surface. Construct the correspondingreflected wavefront. Using this diagram,
prove that the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.

Q.15 What are the coherent sources of light ? Can two independent sodium lamps act [2]
like coherent sources ? Explain.

Q.16 A beam of light consisting of a known wavelength 520 nm and an unknown

wavelength λ, used in Young’s double slit experiment produces two interference
patterns such that thefourth bright fringe of unknown wavelength coincides with
the fifth bright fringe of known wavelength. Find the value of λ.
Q.17 Two waves each of amplitude A and frequency ω emanating from two coherent sources of light [2]
superpose at a point. If the phase difference between the two waves is , obtain an expression for
the resultant intensity at that point.
Q.18 What is the effect on the interference pattern in -slit experiment when (i) the source slit is [2]
moved closer to the plane of the slits, and (ii) the separation between the two slits is increased
Justify your answers.
Q.19 Give any two differences between the interference pattern obtained in Young s double-slit [2]
experiment and a diffraction pattern due to a single slit. Draw an intensity distribution graph in
case of a double-slit interference pattern.
Q.20 In Young s double-slit experiment using monochromatic light of wavelength , the intensity of [2]
light at a point on the screen, where path difference is , is K units. Find the intensity of light at
a point on the screen where the path difference is λ/6 .
Q.21 Diffraction and interference are closely related phenomena that occur together. Diffraction is
the phenomenon of bending of light around the edges of the obstacle, while interference is the
combination of waves that results in a new wave pattern. In order to get interference, there
must be at least two waves that are diffracting. So while diffraction can occur without
interference, interference cannot occur without diffraction. Two slits of width 2 m each in an
opaque material are separated by a distance of 6 m. Monochromatic light of wavelength 450
nm is incident normally on the slits. One finds a combined interference and diffraction pattern
on the screen.
(i) The number of peaks of the interference fringes formed within the central peak of the
envelope of the diffraction pattern will be :
(A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 6
(ii) The number of peaks of the interference formed if the slit width is doubled while keeping
the distance between the slits same will be :
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
(iii) (a) If instead of 450 nm light, another light of wavelength 680 nm is used, number of peaks
of the interference formed in the central peak of the envelope of the diffraction pattern will be :
(A) 2
(B) 4
(C) 6
(D) 9
OR
(b) Consider the diffraction of light by a single slit described in this case study. The first
minimum falls at an angle equal to :
(A) sin -1 (0.12)
(B) sin -1 (0.225)
(C) sin -1 (0.32)
(D) sin -1 (0.45)
(iv) The number of bright fringes formed due to interference on 1 m of screen placed at 4 3 m
away from the slits is :
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 10
Q.22 The displacement of two light waves, each of amplitude A and frequency ω , emanating from
two coherent sources of light, are given by y1 = a cosωt and y2 = a cos ( ωt + φ). φ is the phase
difference between the two waves. These light waves superpose at a point. Obtain the
expression for the resultant intensity at that point. (ii) , find the ratio of intensities at two points
on a screen when waves emanating from two slits reaching these points have path differences
(i)λ/ 6 and (ii) λ/12 .
NOTE: PRACTICE ALL INTEXT AND BACK EXERCISE QUESTIONS OF NCERT CH 10