Fresnel Biprism

PHYSICS PRACTICAL PROJECT
APPARATUS
1.OPTICAL BENCH WITH UPRIGHTS
Eyepiece holder Lens holder Arrow Object Light Source
2.SODIUM LAMP 3.CONVEX LENS
4.SLIT 5.MICROMETER EYEPIECE
FINAL SETUP
Sodium lamp
Slit
Biprism
Convex lens
Eyepiece
DESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS
Two coherent sources, from a single source, to produce
interference pattern are obtained with the help of a Bi-prism. A bi-
prism may be regarded as made up of two prisms of very small
refracting angles placed base to base. In actual practice a single
glass plate is suitably grinded and polished to give a single prism
of obtuse angle 170 leaving remaining two acute angles of 30
each.
The optical bench used in the experiment consists of a heavy cast
iron base supported on four levelling screws. There is a graduated
scale along its one arm. The bench is provided with four uprights
which can be clamped anywhere and the position can be read
by means of Vernier attached to it. Each of the uprights is
subjected to the following motions:
i) Motion along bench
ii) Transverse motion
iii) Rotation about the axis of the up[right.
iv) With the help of the tangent screw, the slit and bi-prism can
be rotated in their own vertical planes.

l
THEORY
Monochromatic light from a narrow slit S falls on the bi-prism, the axis of which must be in line
with the slit. The refracting angles of the biprism are very small, usually about 0.25
o
. This prism
forms two virtual images of the slit S
1
and S
2
in the plane of S, and these two virtual images act
as the sources for two sets of waves which overlap and produce an interference pattern on
the screen.

The fringes are much brighter than those produced by Young's slits, because of the very much
greater amount of light that can pass through the prism compared with that passing through
the double slit arrangement.
FORMULAS USED
The wavelength of the sodium light is given by the formula in case of biprism experiment.
= *2d / D

Where,
= fringe width,
2d = distance between the two virtual sources,
D = distance between the slit and screen.
Again 2d = (d1d2)
Where,
d1 = distance between the two images formed by the convex lens in one position.
d2 = distance between the two images formed by the convex lens in the second position
PROCEDURE
Level the bed of optical bench with the help of spirit level and leveling screws.
The slit, Bi-prism and eye-piece are adjusted at the same height. The slit and the
cross wire of eye piece are made vertical.
The micrometer eye piece is focused on cross wires.
With an opening provided to cover the monochromatic source, the light is allowed
to incident on the slit and the bench is so adjusted that light comes straight along its
lengths. This adjustment is made to avoid the loss of light intensity for the interference
pattern.
Place the bi-prism upright near the slit and move the eye piece sideways. See the
two images of the slit through Bi-prism; if they are not seen, move the upright of Bi
prism right angle to the bench till they are obtained. Make the two images parallel
by rotating bi-prism in its own plane.
ADJUSTMENTS
PROCEDURE
Bring the eye piece near to the bi prism and give it a rotation at right angle of the
bench to obtain a patch of light. As a matter of fact, the interference fringes are
obtained in this patch provided that the edge of the prism is parallel to the slit
To make the edge of the Bi prism parallel to the slit, the bi prism is rotated with the
help of tangent screw till a clear interference pattern is obtained. These fringes can
be easily seen even with the naked eye.
The line joining the centre oft the slit and the edge of the Bi prism should be parallel
to the bed of the bench. If this is not so, there will be a lateral shift and the removal is
most important.
ADJUSTMENTS
PROCEDURE
Find out the least count of the micrometer screw.
Place the micrometer screw at such a distance from bi prism where fringes are
distinct, bright and widely spaced.
The cross wire is moved on one side of the fringes to avoid backlash error. Now the
cross wire is fixed at the centre of a bright fringe.
The crosswire is now moved and fixed at the centre of nth(according to
convenience) fringe. The micrometer readings(s) are noted. From these observations
can be calculated by
= s/n

MEASURING FRINGE WIDTH
Fig:Crosswire on nth fringe
PROCEDURE
The distance between the slit and eyepiece uprights is noted. This distance gives D.
The value of D is corrected for the bench error.

MEASURING D
PROCEDURE
The distance 2d between the two virtual sources can be measured with the help of
fig.(Next Slide)
i) To obtain the value of 2d, the positions of slit and Bi-prism uprights are not
disturbed.
ii) A convex lens is introduced between Bi-prism and eye-piece and moved in
between to obtain the second position where again two sharp and focused images
are obtained. The distance between two images is noted. In the first position the
distance is noted by d1
iii) The lens is again moved towards the eye-piece to obtain the second position where
again two sharp and focused images are obtained. The distance in this case is denoted by
d2. Knowing d1 and d2 , 2d can be calculated by using the formula:
2d = (d1 d2)
MEASURING 2 d
PROCEDURE
MEASURING 2 d
l l 2
OBSERVATIONS
RESULT
PRECAUTIONS
i) The setting of uprights at the same level is essential.
ii) The slit should be vertical and narrow.
iii) Fringe shift should be removed.
iv) Bench error should be taken into account.
v) Crosswire should be fixed in the center of the fringe while taking observations
for fringe
width.
vi) The micrometer screw should be rotated only in one direction to avoid
backlash error.
vii) The fringe width should be measured at a fairly large distance.
viii) Convex lens of shorter focal length should be used (f = 25 cms. approx)
ix) Motion of eyepiece should be perpendicular to the lengths of the bench.
Thank You

Fresnel Biprism

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PHYSICS PRACTICAL PROJECT

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