WAVE OPTICS (PROBLEM FOR PRACTICE)

1. Find the frequency (in megahertz) of radio waves of wavelength 30 m.

Ans. 10 MHz.
2. Find the wavelength of microwaves coming from a source of 24000 MHz.
Ans. 0.0125 m.
3. What will be the speed of light in a medium of refractive index 1.5?
Ans. 2.0 × 108 ms-1
4. Find the time taken by light to travel 1.0 m thickness of glass whose refractive index is 1.5.
Ans.5ns
5. The index of refraction of glass for violet light is 1.665, and for red light 1.618. Compute the difference in the
speed of light in glass for the two colours.
Ans. 5.2 × 106 ms-1
6. The refractive index of glass is 1.5 and that of water is 1.3. If the speed of light in water is 2.25 × 108ms-1, find the
speed in glass.
Ans. 1.95 × 108 ms-1
7. The ratio of thicknesses of the strips of two transparent media A and B is 6: 4. If light takes the same time in
passing through both of them, then what is refractive index of B with respect to A?
Ans.1.5
8. Light of wavelength 4500Å in vacuum enters into a glass block of refractive index 1.5. What is the wavelength of
light in the glass block?
Ans. 3000 Å
9. Green light of mercury has a wavelength of 5.5 × 10-7 in air.
(i) What is its frequency in MHz and period in µs ?
(ii) What is its wavelength in glass, if nglass = 1.5 ?
Ans. (i) 5.45 × 108 MHz, 1.83 × 10-9µs (ii) 3.67 × 10-7
10. The wavelength of monochromatic light in air is 6000 Å. The wavelength of this light in water is 4500 Å. Find out :
(i) frequency of light in water,
(ii) speed of light in water.
Ans. (i) 5.0 × 1016 Hz (same as in air), (ii) 2.25 × 108 ms-1
11. Light waves of frequency 5.0 × 1014 Hz pass through a liquid in which the wavelength of light is found to be 4.5 ×
10-7.Find
(i) wavelength of light in vacuum
(ii) refractive index of the liquid and
(iii) velocity of light in the liquid.
Ans. (i) 6.0 × 10-7 m, (ii) 1.33, (iii) 2.25 × 108 ms-1.
12. Yellow light of wavelength 600 nm is incident on a boundary separating air and glass. Find the speed, wavelength
and frequency of (i) reflected light and (ii) refracted light. The refractive index of glass for yellow light is 1.5.
Ans. (i) 3.0 × 108 ms-1, 600 nm, 5.0 × 1014 Hz (ii) 2.0 × 108 ms-1, 400 nm, 5.0 × 1014 Hz.
13. Two waves of equal frequencies have their amplitudes in the ratio of 3: 5. They are superimposed on each other
Calculate the ratio of maximum and minimum intensities of the resultant wave.
Ans. 16:1
14. Two coherent light sources whose intensity ratio is 81: 1 produce interference fringes. Calculate the ratio of
intensities of maxima and minima in the fringe-system.
Ans. 25: 16.
15. The two slits in Young's double-slit experiment have widths in the ratio 9:4. Find the ratio of light intensities at
maxima and minima in the interference pattern.
Ans. 25:1.
16. The intensity ratio of maxima and minima in an interference pattern is 4:1. Find the ratio of slit widths.
Ans. 9:1
17. The initial phase difference between two interfering waves is 54°. When these waves reach a point on a screen, a
path difference of 1.5 is introduced between them. What is the total phase difference at that point?
Ans. 3.3 π rad.
18. Two slits are 1.0 mm apart and placed at a distance of 1.0 m from a screen. Find fringe-width when light of
wavelength 500 nm is used. What would be the fringe-width if the separation between the slits is halved and the
distance of the screen from the slits is doubled?
Ans. 0.5 mm, 2.0 mm.
19. A beam of monochromatic light of wavelength 500 nm falls on two parallel slits. The distance between the slits is
0.15 mm. Determine the width of the interference fringes on a screen placed at a distance of 1.5 m from the slits.
Ans. 5 mm.
20. A double slit is illuminated by light of wavelength 6000 Å The slits are 0.1 cm apart and the screen is placed 1 m
away Find the angular position of the 10th maximum in radian and the separation between two adjacent minima.
Ans. 6 × 10-3 rad, 0.6 mm.
21. In Young's double-slit experiment, the slits are separated by 0.24 mm. The screen is 1.2 m away from the slits.
The fringe-width is 0.3 cm. Find the wavelength of light used.
Ans.6000Å
22. In Young's experiment, what will be the phase difference and the path difference between the light waves
reaching
(i) the third bright fringe and
(ii) the third dark fringe from the central fringe? ( = 6000 Å)
Ans. (i) 6π, 18000 Å, (ii) 5π, 15000 Å
23. The two slits in Young's double-slit experiment are separated by a distance of 0.03 cm. When light of wavelength
5000 Å falls on the slits, an interference pattern is produced on a screen 1.5 m away. Find the distance of 4th bright
fringe from the central maximum.
Ans. 1.0 cm.
24. In Young's double-slit experiment, the slits are 0.2 mm apart and the screen is 1.5 m away. The distance between
thecentral bright fringe and the fourth dark fringe is 1.8 cm. Find the wavelength of light used.
Ans. 6860 Å
25. In Young's double-slit experiment, light of wavelength 5000 Å is used. The third bright band on the screen is
formed at a distance of 1 cm from the central bright band. If the screen is at a distance of 1.5 m from the centre of
the two narrow slits, calculate the separation between the slits.
Ans. 0.225 mm.
26. The light used in Young's double-slit experiment has a frequency of 6.0 × 1014 s-1The distance between the
centres of adjacent bright fringes is 0.75 mm. If the screen is 1.5 m away, what is the distance between the slits?
Ans. 1.0 mm.
27. A double slit of separation 0.5 mm is illuminated by blue light of wavelength 480 nm. At what distance should a
screen be placed from the double slit to obtain interference fringes that are 1.0 mm apart? What would be the
fringe-width if this distance be doubled?
Ans. 104 cm, 2.0 mm.
28. In Young's experiment, the wavelength of light used is 6000 Å the distance between two slits is 0.05 cm and the
distance of screen from the slits is 1 m. Find out the distance between first dark fringe and first bright fringe.
Ans. 0.06 cm.
29. In Young's double-slit experiment the distance between the centres of the adjacent fringes is 0.10 mm. If the
distance of the screen from the slits is doubled, the distance between the slits is halved and the wavelength of light
changed from 6.4 × 10-7 m to 4.0 × 10-7 m, then what is the new distance between the fringes?
Ans.0.25mm
31. In an experiment with sodium light (5890 Å), an interference pattern is obtained in which 20 equally spaced
fringes occupy 2.30 cm on the screen. On replacing sodium light with another monochromatic source, 30 fringes
occupy 2.80 cm on the screen. Find the wavelength of the light from the second source.
Ans. 4780 Å
32. A double-slit is illuminated by sodium light ( =5893 Å). In the double-slit the distance between the two slits is
0.050 cm. The interference pattern is obtained on a screen placed at a distance of 1.00 m. Calculate the distance
between the fifth bright fringe on one side of the central fringe and the fifth bright fringe on the other side.
Ans. 1.18 cm.
33. In Young's double-slit experiment, the slits are 0.05 cm apart and the interference fringes are obtained on a
screen 1 m away from the slits. The slits are illuminated by sodium light (5893 Å). Find the distance between 4th
bright
fringe on one side and 3rd bright fringe on the other side of the central bright fringe
Ans. 8.25 mm.
34. In Young's double-slit experiment, the separation between the slits is 0.15 mm and the fringes are obtained on a
screen distant 0.75 m from the slits.If the third dark fringe is at a distance of 5.5 mm from the central (bright) fringe,
find the wavelength of light used. What will be the distance of the same dark fringe from the centre if the entire
apparatus is immersed in water? The refractive index of water is 4/3.
Ans. 4400Å, 4.125 mm.
35. The fringe-width in Young's experiment, when the separation between the slits is 0.5 mm and the distance of the
screen from the slits in 1.5 m, is 1.8 mm. Find the path difference between the interfering waves at the position of
first-order maximum.
Ans. 6 × 10-7 m.
36. A slit of width e is illuminated by red light of wavelength 6200 Å. For what value of e will be the first minimum fall
at an angle of diffraction of 30°?
Ans.
37. Fraunhofer's diffraction from a single slit of width 1.0µm is observed with light of wavelength 500 nm. Calculate
the half angular width of the central maximum.
Ans. 30°
38. Light of wavelength 5900 × 10-10 m falls normally on a slit of width 11.8 × 10-5 cm and the resulting Fraunhofer's
diffraction is received on a screen. Calculate the angular position of the first minimum. Also find the angular width of
the central maximum.
Ans. 30°, 60°
39.Fraunhofer's diffraction from a single slit of width 1.24 × 10-6m is observed with light of wavelength 6200. .
Calculate the angular width of central maximum
Ans. 60°
40. A parallel beam of light of wavelength 600 nm falls normally on a narrow slit of width 0.3 mm. Calculate the
angular separation between
(a) the first minimum and the central maximum,
(b) the first subsidiary maxima on the two sides of the central maximum.
Ans. (a) 2 × 10-3 rad, (b) 6 × 10-3 rad.
41. A parallel beam of light of wavelength 6 × 10-5 cm falls normally on a straight slit of width 0.2 mm. Find the total
angular width of the central diffraction maximum and also its linear width as observed on a screen placed 2m away
Ans.
42. A Fraunhofer's diffraction pattern due to a single slit of width 0.2 mm is being obtained on a screen placed it
distance of 2 m from the slit. The first minima lie at 5 mm on either side of the central maximum on the screen. Find
the wavelength of light.
Ans. 5000Å
43. A narrow slit of width 0.3 mm is illuminated normally by a parallel beam of light of wavelength 6 × 10-7 m. The
Fraunhofer's diffraction pattern is obtained on a screen placed in the focal plane of a convex lens of focal length 25
cm. The lens is placed quite close to the slit. Find the width of central maximum on the screen.
Ans. 1.0 mm
44. A parallel light beam of wavelength 6000 Å passes through a slit 0.2 mm wide and forms a diffraction pattern on
screen 1.0 m away from the slit. Find the width of the central maximum on the screen. What would be the width d
this maximum if the apparatus be immersed in water of refractive index 4/3?
Ans. 6.0 mm, 4.5 mm
45. Find the Brewster angle for air glass interface, when refractive index of glass = 1.5.
Ans. 56.3°
46. What is the angle of incidence if the reflected rays of light falling on a thick transparent plate of refractive
index√3 are completely polarised? Does this angle depend upon the wavelength of light?
Ans. 60°, Yes.
47. Light rays strike a glass plate at 57° incidence. If the reflected and the refracted rays are mutually at right angles,
what is the refractive index of glass?
Ans. 1.54.
48. A ray of light is incident on the surface of a glass plate of refractive index 1.5 at the polarising angle. What is the
angle of refraction?
Ans. 33.7.
49. A light-ray is incident on a glass plate of refractive index 1.54. If the reflected ray is completely plane-polarised,
then
determine:
(i) angle of incidence,
(ii) angle of refraction and
(iii) critical angle.
(Given: tan 57° = 1.54 and sin 40.5° = 0.6493)
Ans. (i) 57°, (ii) 33°, (iii) 40.5°
50. At what angle Ɵ above the horizon should the sun be situated so that its light reflected from the surface of still
water of the pond be totally polarised? Given: refractive index of water n = 1.327 and tan 53° =1.327.
Ans. 37°

51. The refractive index of water is 4/3 and that of glass 3/2. A beam of light travelling in water enters glass. For
what
angle of incidence the reflected light will be completely plane
plane-polarised?(tan 48° 22’ = 1.125)
Ans. 48° 22'
52.. The refractive indices of glass and water areare 1.54 and 1.33 respectively. For which light-ray
light the polarising angle
will be greater, a ray going from water to glass or a ray going from glass to water?
Ans.For
.For the ray going from glass to water
53.. Two Polaroids are so oriented that maximum amount of light is transmitted through them. To what percentage
of the maximum intensity of the transmitted light is reduced when one of the Polaroids is rotated through (i) 45°(ii)
45° (iii) 180°.
Ans.. (i) 50%, (ii) becomes zero, (iii) no reduction.