Name: _____________________________________________
Phase, coherence and diffraction
Date:
Time:
Total marks available:
Total marks achieved: ______
Questions
Q1.
Light from a sodium-vapour lamp passes through the slits in a diffraction grating and creates a pattern on
a screen.
This pattern is called an emission spectrum.
Which property of light produces the pattern on the screen?
D refraction
(Total for question = 1 mark)
Q2.
Figure 5 shows rays of light passing through part of a diffraction grating.
The diffraction grating produces a bright line on the screen.
The distance travelled from the diffraction grating to the screen is different for each ray of light.
This is called the path difference.
Figure 5
Which path difference between the rays of light gives the bright line?
D one wavelength
(Total for question = 1 mark)
Q3.
Figure 3 shows the emission spectra of four different gases, A, B, C and D.
Figure 3
Neon has two spectral lines that are about 10 nm apart.
These spectral lines are at the red end of the spectrum.
Which is the emission spectrum of neon?
C
(Total for question = 1 mark)
Q4.
Figure 3 shows the emission spectra of four elements, W, X, Y and Z.
The emission spectrum of an unknown substance is also shown in Figure 3.
Identify the elements contained in the unknown substance.
(1)
A W and X
(Total for question = 1 mark)
Q5.
A diffraction grating is used to analyse the light from a star.
The diffraction grating produces a spectrum of the light.
Figure 4 shows the emission spectra of elements P, Q, R and S, which can be found in the star.
Figure 4
Identify, and justify, which of the elements P, Q, R, S, are found in the star spectrum in Figure 4.
(3)
You may add to Figure 4 to support your answer.
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(Total for question = 3 marks)
Q6.
Describe how a diffraction grating affects the light from a hydrogen lamp.
(2)
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(Total for question = 2 marks)
Q7.
Light from a sodium-vapour lamp passes through the slits in a diffraction grating and creates a pattern on
a screen.
This pattern is called an emission spectrum.
For a clear diffraction pattern to be produced on the screen, the light passing through the diffraction
grating has to have coherence.
Describe what is meant by coherence.
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(Total for question = 2 marks)
Q8.
A diffraction experiment makes use of coherent light waves.
what is meant by the term coherent light waves.
(2)
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(Total for question = 2 marks)
Q9.
Light from a sodium-vapour lamp passes through the slits in a diffraction grating and creates a pattern on
a screen.
This pattern is called an emission spectrum.
Explain how the diffraction grating produces an emission spectrum.
You can use a labelled diagram to help your explanation.
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(Total for question = 4 marks)
Q10.
A diffraction experiment makes use of coherent light waves.
A technician wants to identify the gas in a discharge tube.
The technician uses a diffraction grating to produce emission spectra for the gas.
Each spectrum consists of a series of light and dark lines on a screen.
Explain how the diffraction grating produces the light and dark lines on the screen.
You may draw diagrams to support your answer.
(Total for question = 6 marks)
Q11.
A hydrogen lamp contains hydrogen atoms.
Light from the hydrogen lamp is used to produce an emission spectrum.
Figure 4 shows the visible part of the emission spectrum for hydrogen.
The emission spectrum is a set of coloured lines on a black background.
Each coloured line has a specific frequency.
Explain why hydrogen atoms only produce light of specific frequencies.
You may include diagrams to support your answer.
(3)
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
(Total for question = 3 marks)
