JEE NEET MHT-CET - 2025 Section 2

Waves Optics (HSC)

Sec 2 : Interference of light

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Prof. Hemant Kadam
 SECTION - II

Interference of Light

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Two light waves of same amplitude arriving Two light waves of same amplitude arriving
at a point in same phase : at a point in opposite (out of phase) phase :

a a

-a -a

+ +
a a

-a -a
𝟐 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 ∝ 𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝟐
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 ∝ 𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞

2a
= Max.Amplitude

Max.Intensity of light
=
Min.Amplitude(zero)

Min.Intensity of light(zero)

-2a
Bright point Dark point
 Interference of Light

Definition :

When two light waves of the same frequency and having the zero or
constant phase difference travelling in the same direction superpose each
other, the intensity in the region of superposition gets redistributed ,
becoming maximum at some points and minimum at others.
This phenomenon is called interference of light.

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 Two light waves arrives Two light waves arrives at a point
at a point in the same phase in the opposite phase

Point is bright Point is dark

 Constructive Interference :
When the two waves arriving at a point are in same phase (i.e. the crest of one wave
falls on the crest of the other wave or the trough of one wave falls on the trough of
the other wave), the resultant displacement at that point is maximum. Therefore, the
resultant intensity of light at that point is maximum and that point appears bright.
This type of interference is called as constructive interference.

Destructive Interference :
When the two waves arriving at a point are out of phase (i.e. crest of one wave falls on
the trough of the other wave and vice versa), the resultant displacement at that point
is minimum. Therefore, the resultant intensity of light at that point is minimum and
that point appears dark. This type of interference is called as destructive interference.

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Young’s Double Slit Experiment

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Conditions for obtaining well defined and steady interference pattern

2. The two sources of light must be Monochromatic :

A monochromatic source of light is a source which

emits light waves of only one wavelength. It is clear
from the condition for bright and dark fringes , the
position of these fringes and fringewidth depends on
the wavelength of light. If polychromatic source of
light is used then resultant pattern contains coloured
and overlapping fringes.

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Conditions for obtaining well defined and steady interference pattern

7. The distance of the screen from the two

accurately sources should be large.

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 Conditions for obtaining well defined and steady interference pattern

Memory Map

Two Sources of Light

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 Screen
3-bright fringe 3-maxima
3-dark fringe 3-minima
2-bright fringe 2-maxima

s 2-dark fringe 2-minima

1

1-bright fringe 1-maxima

1-dark fringe 1-minima
Central bright Fringe Central maxima

1-dark fringe 1-minima

1-bright fringe 1-maxima
s 2
2-dark fringe 2-minima
2-bright fringe 2-maxima
3-dark fringe 3-minima 11
Conditions for Constructive(brightness) and Destructive(darkness) interference
Y

X
O A B C D

Phase Difference 0 𝛑 𝟐𝛑 𝟑𝛑 𝟒𝛑

𝛌 𝟑𝛌 𝟐𝛌
Path Difference 0 𝟐
𝛌
𝟐

𝟏 𝟏
No. of Waves 0 1 𝟏 2
𝟐 𝟐
Phase Difference Path Difference
 Conditions for Constructive(brightness) and Destructive(darkness) interference

Screen Expression for Resultant intensity at any point

in interference pattern :
(i) If suppose we have two waves :
y1 = a1 sin t
and y2 = a2 sin(t + ),
where a1, a2 = amplitudes of the two waves
 = phase difference between the waves at an
instant when they are meeting at a point.
I1, I2 = intensities of the two waves.
(ii) By the principle of superposition of waves,the resultant displacement at a point is ,

Here, R = resultant amplitude due to two waves.

(iii) Resultant amplitude :

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(iv) Resultant Intensity :
Now, intensity of a wave is directly proportional to the square of the amplitude.

(k is proportionality constant).

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 Screen
(v) Constructive interference (Bright Fringe) :
(a) Phase difference between the two waves :

 = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, …………………. cos  = 1

∴  = n(2) , where n = 0, 1, 2, ……

(b) Path difference between the two waves :

x = 0, , 2, 3, 4 , …………………
∴ x = n
(c) Resultant amplitude at the point of observation :

(d) Resultant intensity at the point of observation :

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 (vi) Destructive interference (Dark Fringe) : Screen

(a) Phase difference between the two waves :

 = , 3, 5, 7, …………………. cos  = 1

∴  = (2n  1) , where n = 1, 2,3, ……

(b) Path difference between the two waves :

(d) Resultant intensity at the point

(c) Resultant amplitude at the point of observation : of observation :

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 Screen
Some Important Points

(i) Ratio of maximum and minimum amplitudes:

(ii) Ratio of maximum and minimum intensities:

s 1

s 2
(iii) Ratio of intensities of two sources of light:

(iv) Ratio of slit width :

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Theory of Interference Fringes And Expression for Fringe width in Young’s Double Slit
experiment :
Screen (i) Consider two coherent, monochromatic source
(slits) S1 and S2 separated by a small distance d. The
interference pattern is produced on a screen kept at
P a distance D from the two sources. Let  be the
wavelength of light emitted by each source. The
perpendicular bisector of S1S2 meets the screen at
the point O. Draw S1M and S2N perpendicular to the
s1
y screen.
M (ii) Consider a point ‘O’ on the screen. Point O
lies on the perpendicular bisector of S1S2 .
d/2
 S1O = S2O
d O
 Path difference = S1O − S2O = 0
d/2
Therefore, point O will always be a bright fringe
N
s2
called the central bright fringe (central maxima)
(iii) Consider a point P on the screen at a distance y
from point O. Join S1P and S2P. Then the path
difference between the waves of light reaching the
D point P is (S2P − S1P). The point P will be bright or
dark depending upon the path difference (S2P − S 201P).
 In practice, The point P lies very close to O ,the
(iv) Expression for path difference : distances y and d are very small (of the order of
as 0.1 mm) compared to D (about 1 m).
x = S2P  S1P

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 (v) Expression for fringe width (or bandwidth ):
“The distance between two consecutive bright
fringes or dark fringes in an interference pattern
is called the bandwidth or fringe width.”

Case (i) – Considering the distance between two

consecutive bright fringes :
(n+1)th bright fringe
W
(where n = 0, 1, 2, ……) nth bright fringe
yn+1
yn
Central Maxima
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Case(ii) – Considering the distance between two
consecutive dark fringes :
(m+1)th dark fringe
W
mth dark fringe
ym+1
ym
Central Maxima

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From (1) and (2), the distance between two consecutive bright bands is equal to the
distance between two consecutive dark bands, i.e. bright and dark are equally spaced.

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 Important Formulae for Numerical Solving :
screen

8th dark fringe

y8
5th bright fringe

y5
Central Maxima

y3
y4
3rd bright fringe

4th dark fringe

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 Important Formulae for Numerical Solving :
screen

8th dark fringe

y8
5th bright fringe

y5
Central Maxima

y3
y4
3rd bright fringe

4th dark fringe

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Angular position of Bright OR Dark fringe and Angular Fringewidth:

Screen

(n+1)th fringe

nth fringe

D
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 Displacement of fringes (fringe shift) :

When a thin transparent plate of thickness ‘t’ and refractive index  is introduced in the path
S1P of the interfering waves, then it is observed that the entire fringe pattern is shifted
“upward” through a distance given by,

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 Displacement of fringes (fringe shift) :

If a transparent plate is kept in the path S2P then the entire fringe pattern is shifted
“downward” through a distance x0

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 COHERENT SOURCE OF LIGHT
Two light waves in same phase Screen Two light waves in constant phase difference
Screen
P (Bright)
P (Bright)

𝐒𝟏
𝐒𝟏

𝐒𝟐
𝐒𝟐

Coherent sources: “The two sources of light are said to be coherent, if the light waves emitted by
them are in same phase or have a constant phase difference.”
 Methods for obtaining Coherent Sources
In Young’s Double slit experiment, the two sources S1 and S2 get light from the same source S .
Whatever phase changes occur in S1 , the same phase changes occur in S2 . The relative phase
difference between S1 and S2 remains constant with time. So they act as coherent sources.
Some of the other methods of producing coherent sources are as follows :
(i) Lloyd’s Mirror Method :
Screen

Real
Source S

Lloyd’s Mirror
Virtual
Source S’

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(i) The light from real source S is made to fall at a grazing angle on a plane mirror. Some
of the light from source S falls directly on the screen and some light reach the screen
after reflection. The reflected light appears to come from a virtual source S’
(ii) S and S’ act as two coherent sources of light . Light waves coming directly from the
source S and the reflected waves (which appear to come from virtual source S’) interfere
to produce a fringe pattern .
(iii) Very oblique (grazing) angle of incidence requires the source S to be placed very close
to the mirror. In that case the separation between the coherent sources S and S’ will be
small , as required in Young’s Double Slit experiment for obtaining broad and distinct
interference pattern.
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(ii) Fresnel’s Biprism Method :
Biprism

𝟎. 𝟓𝟎

𝟏𝟕𝟗𝟎

𝟎. 𝟓𝟎
D
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 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎

𝟏𝟕𝟗𝟎

𝟎. 𝟓𝟎

(i) A biprism is a prism with vertex angle of nearly 1800. It can be considered to be made
up of two prisms with very small refracting angle ranging from 0.50 to 10 joined at their
bases.
(ii) In experimental arrangement, the refracting edge of the biprism is kept parallel to the
length of the slit . Monochromatic light from a source is made to pass through a narrow
slit S and fall on the biprism.
(iii) The two halves of the biprism form virtual images S1 and S2 of the slit S . The images
S1 and S2 acts as coherent sources as they are obtained from single source S .
(iv) The light waves coming from S1 and S2 interfere and form interference fringes in the
shaded region shown in the figure. 35
u v
D

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Text Book Numericals

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