Experiment No.

NEWTON’S RINGS

I. OBJECTIVE

To determine the radius of curvature of a lens by Newton’s rings method.

II. APPARATUS

Newton’s rings apparatus (microscope, beam splitter, plano-convex lens, optical flat, XY
translation stage), source of nearly monochromatic light (sodium vapor lamp).

III. THEORY

Newton’s rings are an interesting illustration of the phenomenon of interference of light

by amplitude division and can be formed by placing a convex or plano-convex lens of a large
radius of curvature on a plane glass plate and using monochromatic light from an extended
source at near normal incidence (Figure-1). The air gap between the lower curved surface of lens
and the glass plate possesses a radial symmetry about the point of contact. When it is illuminated
normally with monochromatic light, localized circular interference fringes are formed which are
loci of points of equal thickness. These circular fringes are called Newton’s rings and their
formation can be explained in terms of interference of light rays reflected from the lower surface
of the convex lens and the flat upper surface of the glass plate, as shown in Figure-1.
Consideration of the optical path difference between these two rays (for a thin lens with
extremely small curvature and rear normal incidence) leads to interference conditions.

Conditions for observed interference:

2t ≈ 2n ( / 2): Dark fringe

2t ≈ (2n + 1) ( / 2): Bright fringe

Where, t is the air gap at the point of consideration.

It can be easily seen from Figure-1 that if the radius of the nth bright fringe is rn and R is the
radius of curvature of the lower surface of lens, then

R2 = rn2 + (R - t)2

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 Or, t ≈ rn2 / 2R (neglecting t2)

Substituting this, in the interference condition for the nth bright fringe, we get,

rn2 = (2n + 1) R / 2

which leads to the diameter of the nth bright fringe

Dn2 = 2 (2n + 1) λR (1)

Similarly, the diameter of the nth dark fringe is given by,

Dn’2 = 4nλR (2)

Usually, due to imperfectness of the contact between the two surfaces at the centre of the of the
lens, the exact order of fringes cannot be ascertained. However, the difference in diameters of
two bright (or dark) fringes of order n1 and n2 are related by

D 2 n1 D 2 n2
4 R (3)
n1 n2

IV. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND APPARATUS DETAILS

Figure 1: Schematic of Newton’s Rings experiment

As shown in the schematic (Figure-1), rays from an extended source (sodium lamp) are reflected
from the beam splitter inclined at 450 to the vertical and fall nearly normal on an air gap between
a thin plano convex lens and a clean optical flat with a black background. The rays reflected
from the upper and lower surfaces of the air gap are transmitted through the beam splitter and
received by the microscope attached with a XY translation stage. With the help of micrometers

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attached with the XY stage, the microscope can be moved along X and Y directions. The
apparatus is provided with an adjustment screw for the beam splitter. The plano convex lens is
mounted in a holder provided with three adjustment screws. Four different wavelength LEDs are
also provided. The actual apparatus is framed in Figure-2.

Figure 2: Apparatus for Newton’s rings experiment

1. Power supply for sodium lamp 5. Beamsplitter

2. Sodium lamp 6. Micrometer attached with XY stage
3. Microscope
4. Plano convex lens in a holder

V. PROCEDURE

(1) Clean the optics provided for the experiment with iso propyl alcohol. Place the optically
flat disk in the region of depression near the objective of the microscope. Keep the plano-
convex on top of the optically flat disk (there should only be a point contact between the
flat disk and the convex side of the plano-convex lens) for the interference pattern to be
formed. Insert the Beam splitter into the holder and fasten the screws. Switch on the
Sodium vapor lamp, wait for a couple of minutes for the lamp to reach its maximum
intensity and place the lamp in front of the microscope. Change the declination of the
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 beam-splitter to 45° with respect to the respect to the direction of the light (when the
beam splitter is at adjusted to 45°, the field of view will have maximum illumination).
Now the focusing of the image has to be done by either increasing/decreasing the
distance of the microscope tube from the object, by adjusting the focusing knob behind
the microscope. After focused image (with the circular fringe system in view) is obtained,
make sure the crosswire seen in the view are oriented along the direction of motion of the
travelling microscope.

(2) With the fringe system in view, by using the micrometer screws coincide the intersection
of the crosswire system with the center of the fringe pattern. At this stage, if any
micrometer is turned then you will observe that the ring pattern shifts.

(3) Position the microscope in such a way that one of its crosswire touches the rings
tangentially and make sure that it is possible to traverse through 20 rings completely by
turning the micrometer screw in one direction only.

(4) Move the crosswire to one of the larger but sharp bright or dark rings (say mth).
Remember that ‘m’ may not represent the order of the fringe. It is just the ring no.
assigned with respect to the smallest well defined ring which is called the 1st ring.
Usually, measurement can be started with the 20th ring (m = 20) or so. Position the
crosswire carefully at the centre of the width of this ring and note down its position (Xm)
using micrometer. Next by turning the fine movement knob, move the microscope
towards the centre of the ring system, each time positioning the crosswire at the centre of
width of alternate rings (with decreasing ring no. m-1, m-2, ….., 2,1) and note down the
corresponding positions (Xm-1, Xm-2……….., X2, X1). After crossing over the centre of
rings, continue to position the crosswire at the centre of width of the corresponding rings
(at the diametrically opposite points) with increasing order and note down the positions
(Y1, Y2, Y3, ……, Ym-2, Ym-1).

VI. RESULTS AND CALCULATONS

(1) Tabulate ring no. (1, 2,…..,m), Xm and Ym, the ring diameter Dm ( = Xm - Ym) and Dm2.

(2) Plot Dm2 (Y-axis) verses m (X-axis) on a graph paper. Use the slope S [= (Dm2 – Dm-22) /
(m – (m-2))] to calculate the radius of curvature (R) using eqn.3. Take λ = 5893 Å.

(3) Draw the limiting lines with slopes S1 & S2 and calculate the error in the slope ΔS
S1 S2 S
(See section on errors). Hence, estimate the error in R R R
2 S

VII. PRECAUTIONS

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 (1) Make sure that before taking measurements that it is possible to transverse through at
least 20 rings or so on both sides of the centre of the fringe system.

(2) While measuring the fringe diameter, the microscope should be moved in the same
direction throughout, to avoid error due to backlash.

(3) While measurements of Xm and Ym on the two sides of the centre of the rings, make sure
that the ring no. (m) is correctly assigned to the same ring on both sides (with respect to the
smallest ring taken as the 1st ring).

VIII. LEARNING OUTCOMES

1.Understand the concept of interference due to division of amplitude using Newton’ rings
experiment.
2.Demonstrate thin film interference and determine how the interference pattern depends on
the wavelength of the incident monochromatic light.

IX. REFERENCES

1.B. K. Mathur: Introduction to Geometrical and Physical Optics.

2.Ajoy Ghatak: Optics

X. QUESTIONS

1. Explain why the interference rings are circular in shape

2. Why do the rings get closer as the order of the rings increases?

3. What would be effect of using white light instead of monochromatic light?

4. What would be the shape of the rings if a wedge shaped prism is kept inverted on the glass
plate?

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