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Ch 33: Wave Optics
Knight Calc - Physics for Scientists and Engineers 5th Edition
Knight Calc5th EditionPhysics for Scientists and EngineersISBN: 9780137344796Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksKnight Calc 5th EditionCh 33: Wave OpticsProblem 73a
Chapter 33, Problem 73a

FIGURE CP33.73 shows two nearly overlapped intensity peaks of the sort you might produce with a diffraction grating (see Figure 33.9b). As a practical matter, two peaks can just barely be resolved if their spacing Δy equals the width w of each peak, where w is measured at half of the peak’s height. Two peaks closer together than w will merge into a single peak. We can use this idea to understand the resolution of a diffraction grating. In the small-angle approximation, the position of the m = 1 peak of a diffraction grating falls at the same location as the m = 1 fringe of a double slit: y1 = λL/d. Suppose two wavelengths differing by Δλ pass through a grating at the same time. Find an expression for Δy, the separation of their first-order peaks.

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Step 1: Start by recalling the formula for the position of the m=1 peak in a diffraction grating, which is given as y₁ = (λL) / d, where λ is the wavelength of light, L is the distance to the screen, and d is the spacing between adjacent slits in the grating.
Step 2: To find the separation Δy between the first-order peaks of two wavelengths λ and λ + Δλ, calculate the difference in their positions on the screen. Using the formula for y₁, the positions of the two peaks are y₁(λ) = (λL) / d and y₁(λ + Δλ) = ((λ + Δλ)L) / d.
Step 3: Subtract the two positions to find Δy: Δy = y₁(λ + Δλ) - y₁(λ). Substituting the expressions, Δy = (((λ + Δλ)L) / d) - ((λL) / d).
Step 4: Simplify the expression for Δy by factoring out common terms. This gives Δy = (ΔλL) / d, where Δλ is the difference in wavelengths, L is the distance to the screen, and d is the slit spacing.
Step 5: The final expression for the separation of the first-order peaks is Δy = (ΔλL) / d. This shows that the separation depends linearly on the wavelength difference Δλ, the distance to the screen L, and inversely on the slit spacing d.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Diffraction Grating

A diffraction grating is an optical component with a periodic structure that splits and diffracts light into several beams. The angles at which these beams are observed depend on the wavelength of the light and the spacing of the grating lines. The grating equation, d sin(θ) = mλ, relates the wavelength (λ), the order of the peak (m), and the grating spacing (d), allowing for the analysis of light interference patterns.
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Resolution in Optics

Resolution in optics refers to the ability to distinguish between two closely spaced objects or peaks in an intensity pattern. According to the Rayleigh criterion, two peaks can be resolved if the distance between them (Δy) is at least equal to the width (w) of each peak at half its maximum height. This concept is crucial for understanding how closely spaced wavelengths can be differentiated in diffraction patterns.
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Small-Angle Approximation

The small-angle approximation is a simplification used in physics when angles are small enough that sin(θ) ≈ θ (in radians). This approximation is particularly useful in diffraction and interference problems, as it allows for easier calculations of angles and positions of peaks. In the context of diffraction gratings, it simplifies the relationship between the angle of diffraction and the position of the peaks on a screen.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Light of wavelength 600 nm passes though two slits separated by 0.20 mm and is observed on a screen 1.0 m behind the slits. The location of the central maximum is marked on the screen and labeled y = 0. With the glass in place, what is the phase difference Δϕ0 between the two waves as they leave the slits?

Textbook Question

FIGURE CP33.74 shows light of wavelength λ incident at angle ϕ on a reflection grating of spacing d. We want to find the angles θm at which constructive interference occurs. Light of wavelength 500 nm is incident at ϕ=40° on a reflection grating having 700 reflection lines/mm. Find all angles θm at which light is diffracted. Negative values of θm are interpreted as an angle left of the vertical.

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Textbook Question

A double-slit experiment is set up using a helium-neon laser (λ = 633 nm). 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?

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Textbook Question

A Michelson interferometer operating at a 600 nm wavelength has a 2.00-cm-long glass cell in one arm. To begin, the air is pumped out of the cell and mirror M₂ is adjusted to produce a bright spot at the center of the interference pattern. Then a valve is opened and air is slowly admitted into the cell. The index of refraction of air at 1.00 atm pressure is 1.00028. How many bright-dark-bright fringe shifts are observed as the cell fills with air?

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