Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 33: Q. 6 (page 954)

FIGURE shows the light intensity on a viewing screen behind a circular aperture. What happens to the width of the central maximum if

a. The wavelength of the light is increased?

b. The diameter of the aperture is increased?

c. How will the screen appear if the aperture diameter is less than the light wavelength?

Short Answer

Expert verified

(a) The width of the wavelength is increased.

(b) The width of the aperture is decreased.

(c) The screen appears like almost uniformly gray.

Step by step solution

01

Introduction

When it comes to waves like acoustic waves (sound) or electromagnetic waves like light or radio waves, intensity refers to the average power transfer across one period of the wave. Intensity can be used in a variety of situations where energy is delivered. For example, the intensity of the kinetic energy carried by drops of water from a garden sprinkler may be calculated.

02

Find the width (part a)

We know that θ1=1.22λD, so:

As λis increased, the width grows.

03

Find the width (part b)

As the diameter grows larger, the width shrinks.

04

Appearance of screen

For diffraction to occur, the field of view must be of the same order as the wavelength of light, resulting in a nearly evenly grey surface with no minima.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Light of wavelength 600nmpasses though two slits separated by 0.20mmand is observed on a screen 1.0mbehind the slits. The location of the central maximum is marked on the screen and labeled y=0.

a. At what distance, on either side of y=0, are the m=1bright fringes?

b. A very thin piece of glass is then placed in one slit. Because light travels slower in glass than in air, the wave passing through the glass is delayed by 5.0×10-16sin comparison to the wave going through the other slit. What fraction of the period of the light wave is this delay?

c. With the glass in place, what is the phase difference Δϕ0between the two waves as they leave the slits?2

d. The glass causes the interference fringe pattern on the screen to shift sideways. Which way does the central maximum move (toward or away from the slit with the glass) and by how far?

One day, after pulling down your window shade, you notice that sunlight is passing through a pinhole in the shade and making a small patch of light on the far wall. Having recently studied optics in your physics class, you're not too surprised to see that the patch of light seems to be a circular diffraction pattern. It appears that the central maximum is about 1cmacross, and you estimate that the distance from the window shade to the wall is about 3m.. Estimate (a) the average wavelength of the sunlight (in nm ) and (b) the diameter of the pinhole (in mm ).

Optical computers require microscopic optical switches to turn signals on and off. One device for doing so, which can be implemented in an integrated circuit, is the Mach-Zender interferometer seen in FIGURE. Light from an on-chip infrared laser (λ=1.000μm)is split into two waves that travel equal distances around the arms of the interferometer. One arm passes through an electro-optic crystal, a transparent material that can change its index of refraction in response to an applied voltage. Suppose both arms are exactly the same length and the crystal’s index of refraction with no applied voltage is1.522.

a. With no voltage applied, is the output bright (switch closed, optical signal passing through) or dark (switch open, no signal)? Explain.

b. What is the first index of refraction of the electro-optic crystal larger than 1.522that changes the optical switch to the state opposite the state you found in part a?

Light from a helium-neon laser (λ=633nm)is used to illuminate two narrow slits. The interference pattern is observed on a screen 3.0mbehind the slits. Twelve bright fringes are seen, spanning a distance of52mm. What is the spacing (in mm) between the slits?

A double-slit experiment is set up using a helium-neon laser (λ=633nm). Then a very thin piece of glass (n=1.50) is placed over one of the slits. Afterward, the central point on the screen is occupied by what had been the m=10 dark fringe. How thick is the glass?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Scientific Method Physics

Read Explanation

Dynamics

Read Explanation

Modern Physics

Read Explanation

Atoms and Radioactivity

Read Explanation

Space Physics

Read Explanation

Quantum Physics

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free