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Newton'S Ring Experiment

Newton's rings experiment produces bright and dark circular interference patterns when monochromatic light is reflected between the contacting surfaces of a plano-convex lens and glass plate. The thickness of the air film determines the optical path difference between waves reflected from the upper and lower surfaces, resulting in constructive or destructive interference. The radius of the nth dark ring is related to the wavelength of light and the lens curvature by the formula rn2 = nRλ. Newton's rings can be used to measure the wavelength of light and refractive index of liquids.

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Parth Nanu
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85 views5 pages

Newton'S Ring Experiment

Newton's rings experiment produces bright and dark circular interference patterns when monochromatic light is reflected between the contacting surfaces of a plano-convex lens and glass plate. The thickness of the air film determines the optical path difference between waves reflected from the upper and lower surfaces, resulting in constructive or destructive interference. The radius of the nth dark ring is related to the wavelength of light and the lens curvature by the formula rn2 = nRλ. Newton's rings can be used to measure the wavelength of light and refractive index of liquids.

Uploaded by

Parth Nanu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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NEWTON’S RING EXPERIMENT:

Fig 5.19 shows an experimental arrangement for producing and observing


Newton’s rings. A monochromatic source of light S is kept at the focus of a
condensing lens L1. The parallel beam of light emerging from L1 falls on the glass
plate G kept at 45o. The glass plate reflects a part of the incident light vertically
downwards, normally on the thin air film, enclosed by the plano convex lens L and
plane glass plate P. The reflected beam from the air film is viewed with a
microscope. Alternate bright and dark circular rings with dark spot as centre is
seen.
(i) THEORY:
The formation of Newton’s rings can be explained on the basis of
interference between waves which are partially reflected from the top and
bottom surfaces of the air film. If t is the thickness of the air film at a point on the
film, the refracted wavelet from the lens has to travel a distance t into the film
and after reflection from the top surface of the glass plate, has to travel the same
distance back to reach the point again.
 
 
Thus, it travels a total path 2t. One of the two reflections takes place at the
surface of the denser medium and hence it introduces an additional phase
change of π or an equivalent path difference λ/2 between two wavelets.
 
∴ The condition for brightness is, Path difference,

The thickness of the air film at the point of contact of lens L with glass plate P
is zero. Hence, there is no path difference between the interfering waves. So, it
should appear bright. But the wave reflected from the denser glass plate has
suffered a phase change of π while the wave reflected at the spherical surface of
the lens has not suffered any phase change. Hence the point O appears dark.
Around the point of contact alternate bright and dark rings are formed.

(ii) Expression for the radius of the nth  dark ring :


Let us consider the vertical section SOP of the plano convex lens through its
centre of curvature C, as shown in Fig 5.20. Let R be the radius of curvature of the
plano convex lens and O be the point of contact of the lens with the plane
surface. Let t be the thickness of the air film at S and P. Draw ST and PQ
perpendiculars to the plane surface of the glass plate. Then ST = AO = PQ = t
 
Let rn be the radius of the nth dark ring which passes through the points S
and P.
 
Then SA = AP = rn
 
If ON is the vertical diameter of the circle, then by the law of segments
(iii) Applications of Newtons rings:

(i) Using the method of Newton’s rings, the wavelength of a given


monochromatic source of light can be determined.
(ii) The radius of nth dark ring and (n+m)the dark ring are given by
Rn2 = nRλ and r2n+m = (n+m) Rλ
Rn+m2 – rn2 = mRλ
So, λ = [rn+m2 – rn2] / mR

iii) Knowing rn+m rn, and R, the wavelength can be


calculated.

Using Newton’s rings, the refractive index of a liquid can be calculated.


Let λa and λm represent the wavelength of light in air and in medium
(liquid). If rn is the radius of the nth dark ring in the air and if rn is the
radius of the nth dark ring in liquid, then

rn2 = nRλa

r`n2 = nRλm = nRλa/μ


so, μ = rn2/ r`n2

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