CHAPTER 10
WAVE OPTICS
MCQ
1. Monochromatic yellow light is replaced with red light. The liner width of central bright fringe in
diffraction at a single slit
(a) Increases because 𝜆𝑟𝑒𝑑<𝜆𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 (b) Decreases because 𝜆𝑟𝑒𝑑>𝜆𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤
(c)Increases because 𝜆𝑟𝑒𝑑>𝜆𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 (d) Decreases because 𝜆𝑟𝑒𝑑<𝜆𝑦𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤
2. To demonstrate the phenomenon of interference we require two sources which emit radiation of
(a) Nearly same frequency (b) The same frequency
(c)Different wavelength (d) The same frequency and having definite phase relationship
3. Which of the following cannot be explained on the basics of wave nature of light?
(a) Polarisation (b) Diffraction
(c) Photoelectric effect (d) Interference
4. The wave front of distant source of unknown shape is approximately
(a) Spherical (b) Cylindrical (c)Elliptical (d) plane
5. In young’s double slit experiment the slit separation is 0.2cm, the distance between the screen and
the slit is 1m, wavelength of light used is 5000A0. The fringe width in mm is
(a) 0.25 (b)0.26 (c)0.27 (d)0.28
6. If young’s double slit experiment of light is performed in water which of the following is correct
(a) Fringe width will decrease (b)Fringe width will increase
(c)There will be no fringe (d)Fringe width will remain unchanged
7. A beam of light of wavelength 600nm from a distance source fall on a single slit 1mm wide and the
resulting diffraction pattern is observed on a screen 2m away. The distance between the 1st dark fringes
on either side of the central bright fringe is
(a) 1.2cm (b) 1.2mm (c)2.4cm (d)2.4 mm
8. Ratio of intensities of two waves are given by 4:1. Then ration of the amplitude of the two wave is
(a) 2:1 (b)1:2 (c)4:1 (d) 1:4
9. The locus of all particles in a medium vibrating in the same phase is called
(a) Fringe (b) Wavelet (c)Wavefront (d) All the above
10. Which of the following factor does the intensity of light depend on?
(a) Frequency (b) Wavelength (c)Amplitude (d)Velocity
11. What happens to the interference pattern; the two slits S1 and S2 in young’s double slit experiment
are illuminated by two independent but identical sources?
(a) The intensity of the bright fringe doubled. (b) The intensity of the bright fringes becomes 4 times.
(c)Two sets of interference fringes overlap (d) No interference pattern is observed
12. A diffraction pattern is obtained by using a beam of red light. What will happen if the red light is
replaced by blue light
(a) Bands disappear (b)Bands become broader and farther apart
(c)No change will take place (d) Diffraction bands become narrower and crowded
13. Two coherent sources are used to obtain interference pattern on the screen D m away from the slit
separated by distance d. A maximum is obtained when the path difference between the interfering
wave is
(a) n𝜆 (b) n𝜆/2 (c)(2n+1) 𝜆/2 (d) (2n-1) 𝜆/4
14. A minimum is obtained when the phase difference of the superposition waves is
(a) n𝜋 (b)(n+1/2) 𝜋 (c)(2n+1) 𝜋 (𝑑)Zero
15. The fringe width 𝛽 of a diffraction pattern and the slit width d are related as
(a) 𝛽∝ d (b)𝛽∝ 1/d (𝑐)𝛽∝ √𝑑 (d)𝛽∝ 1/𝑑2
16. A phase difference of 5𝜋 corresponds to a path difference of (in terms of 𝜆 )
(a) 5 𝜆 (𝑏)10 𝜆 (c)5 𝜆 2 (𝑑)2 𝜆
17. A monochromatic light is refracted from air to a glass of refractive index 𝜇. The ratio of the
wavelength of the incident and the refracted wave is
(a) 1: 𝜇 (𝑏)1: 𝜇2 (𝑐)𝜇:1 (𝑑)𝜇2:1
18. Huygens’s principle of secondary wavelet may be used to
(a) Find the velocity of the light in vacuum (b) Explain the particles behaviour of light
(c)Find the new position of a waveform (d) Explain photoelectric effect
19. In the phenomenon of interference energy is
(a) Destroyed at destructive interference (b) Created at constructive interference
(c)Conserved but it is redistributed (d)Same at all points
20. The reason of interference is
(a)Phase difference (b)Change of amplitude (c)Change of velocity (d)Intensity
21. From a single slit the first diffraction minima is obtained at 300 for a light of 6500A0 Wavelength.
The width of the slit is
(a) 3250A0 (b)1.3 𝜇𝑚 (c)5.4 X 10-4 km (d)1.2X 10-2 cm
22. Two disturbances arriving at a point on the screen kept at a distance D from two coherent source
have a phase difference of /2 . The intensity at this point is (assume that intensity of each source id Io.
(a) 4 Io (b)2 Io (C)(1/2) Io (d)(1/4) Io
23. The ratio of intensities of two points P and Q on a screen in Young’s double slit experiment when
waves from sources S1 and S2 have phase difference of 𝜋/3 and 𝜋/2 is
(a) 3:1 (b)2:1 (c)3/2:1 (d)3:2
24. Light waves from two coherent sources arrive at two points P and Q on a screen with path difference
of 0 ad 𝜆2 the ratio of intensities at the point IP:IQ is
(a) 2:1 (b) 4:0 (c)1:2 (d)0:1/2
25. The phase difference between two light waves reaching a point is 𝜋/2. The resultant amplitude if the
individual amplitude are 3mm and 4mm is
(a) 7mm (b)5mm (c)1mm (d)None of the above
Assertion and reason type questions
Directions: These questions consist of two statements, each printed as Assertion and Reason. While
answering these questions, you are required to choose any one of the following four responses. (a) If
both Assertion and Reason are true and the Reason is a correct explanation of the Assertion. (b) If both
Assertion and Reason are true but Reason is not a correct explanation of the Assertion. (c) If the
Assertion is true but Reason is false. (d) If both the Assertion and Reason are incorrect.
1.Assertion: No interference pattern is detected when two coherent sources are infinitely close to each
other.
Reason: The fringe width is inversely proportional to the distance between the two sources.
2. Assertion: Interference pattern is made by using yellow light instead of red light, the fringes become
narrower.
Reason: In Young’s double experiment slit fringe width is given by β=λD/d
3.Assertion: Coloured spectrum is seen when we look through a muslin cloth.
Reason: It is due the diffraction of white light on passing through fine slits.
4. Assertion: Diffraction takes place for all types of waves mechanical or non-mechanical, transverse or
longitudinal.
Reason: Diffraction’s effect are perceptible only if wavelength of wave is comparable to dimensions of
diffracting device.
5.Assertion (A): Interference obeys the law of conservation of energy.
Reason (R): The energy is redistributed in case of interference
6. Assertion (A): Diffraction is common in sound but not common in light waves.
Reason (R): Wavelength of light is more than the wavelength of sound
7. Assertion (A): We cannot get diffraction pattern from a wide slit illuminated by monochromatic light.
Reason (R): In diffraction pattern, all the bright bands are not of the same intensity.
8. Assertion (A) : The maximum intensity in interference pattern is four times the intensity due to each
slit.
Reason (R): Intensity is directly proportional to square of amplitude.
9.Assertion: In Young’s experiment, the fringe width for dark fringes is different from that for white
fringes.
Reason: In Young’s double slit experiment the fringes are performed with a source of white light then
only black and bright fringes are observed.
10. Assertion (A) : One of the condition for interference is that the two source should be very narrow.
Reason (R) : One broad source is equal to large number of narrow source.
Answers :1-c,2-d,3-c,4-d,5-a, 6-a,7-d,8-a,9-c,10-c,11-d, 12-d,13-a,14-c,15-b,16-c,17-c,18-c,19-c, 20-a,21-
b,22-b,23-d,24-b, 25-b.
Answers: 1-a,2-a,3-a,4-b,5-a,6-c,7-b, 8-a, 9-d, 10 –a.
Two- and three-mark questions
1.How does the fringe width of interference fringes change, when the whole apparatus of Young’s
experiment is kept in a liquid of refractive index 1.3?
2. How does the angular separation between fringes in single-slit diffraction experiment change when
the distance of separation between the slit and screen is doubled?
3. How does the fringe width, in Young’s double-slit experiment, change when the distance of
separation between the slits and screen is doubled?
4. Write the distinguishing features between a diffraction pattern due to a single slit and the
interference fringes produced in Young’s double slit experiment?
5. State the reason, why two independent sources of light cannot be considered as coherent sources
6. Yellow light (λ = 6000Å) illuminates a single slit of width 1 x 10-4 m. Calculate (i) the distance
between the two dark lines on either side of the central maximum, when the diffraction pattern is
viewed on a screen kept 1.5 m away from the slit;
7. In a single slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit is reduced to half its original width.
How would this affect the size and intensity of the central maximum?
8. In Young’s double slit experiment, mono-chromatic light of wavelength 600 nm illuminates the
pair of slits and produces an interference pattern in which two consecutive bright fringes are
separated by 10 mm. Another source of monochromatic light produces the interference pattern in
which the two consecutive bright fringes are separated by 8 mm. Find the wavelength of light from
the second source. What is the effect on the interference fringes if the monochromatic source is
replaced by a source of white light?
9. (a) The ratio of the widths of two slits in Young’s double slit experiment is 4 : 1. Evaluate the ratio of
intensities at maxima and minima in the interference pattern. (b) Does the appearance of bright and dark
fringes in the interference pattern violate, in any way, conservation of energy?
10. In a single slit diffraction experiment, a slit of width ‘d’ is illuminated by red light of wavelength
650 nm. For what value of ‘d’ will (i) the first minimum fall at an angle of diffraction of 30°, and (ii)
the first maximum fall at an angle of diffraction of 30°? (b) Why does the intensity of the secondary
maximum become less as compared to the central maximum?
CASE STUDY
1. Interference is based on the superposition principle. According to this principle, at a particular point in
the medium, the resultant displacement produced by a number of waves is the vector sum of the
displacements produced by each of the waves. If two sodium lamps illuminate two pinholes S1 and S2.
the intensities will add up and no interference fringes will be observed on the screen. Here the source
undergoes abrupt phase change in times of the order of 10-10 seconds.
i. Two coherent sources of intensity 9 W/m2 and 25 W/m2 interfere to form fringes. Find the
ratio of maximum intensity to minimum intensity
(i) 10:3 (ii) 16:1 (iii) 4:1 (iv) 2:1
ii. In a Young's double-slit experiment, the slit separation is doubled. To maintain the same
fringe spacing on the screen, the screen-to-slit distance D must be changed to
(i)2D (ii) 4D (iii) D/2 (iv) D/4
iii. The maximum number of possible interference maxima for slit separation equal to twice
the wavelength in Young's double-slit experiment, is
(i)infinite (ii)five (iii)three (iv)zero
2. Young devised an ingenious experiment. Using sunlight diffracted through a small slit as a source of
coherent illumination, he projected the light rays emanating from the slit onto another screen
containing two slits placed side by side. Light passing through the slits was then allowed to fall onto a
screen. Young observed distinct bands of color separated by dark regions in a serial order. Young coined
the term interference fringes to describe the bands and realized that these coloured bands could only
be produced if light were acting like a wave. The phenomenon of interference of light is due to the
redistribution of energy
IF I1 and I2 be the intensity of light from two slits and φ be the phase difference, then the resultant
intensity at a point on the screen is given by I = I1 + I2 + 2 I1I2 cos φ . For bright fringe φ = 2nπ and for
dark fringe φ = (2n – 1)π.
(i) Interference of light is a consequence of the
(A) transverse nature of light
(B) Longitudinal nature of light
(C) Particle nature of light
(D) Wave nature of light
(ii) If the distance of the screen from the plane of slits is small compared to the width of fringe then the
fringe pattern will be
(A) Parabola
(B) Hyperbola
(C) Spherical
(D) Nearly straight line
(iii) Consider the interference between two sources of intensities I and 4I. Then the intensity at the point
where the phase difference is π/2
(A) I
(B) 3I
(C) 5I
(D) 6I
(iv) Let a be the size of the source and S its distance from the plane of the two slits. For interference
fringes to be seen, the condition should be satisfied- (λ = wavelength of light, d = separation between
the slits)
(A) a/S = λ/d
(B) a/S < λ/d
(C ) a/S > λ/d
(D) None of the above
3.When the double slit in Young’s experiment is replaced by a single narrow slit (illuminated by a
monochromatic source), a broad pattern with a central bright region is seen. On both sides, there are
alternate dark and bright regions, the intensity becoming weaker away from the centre. The variation of
intensity with the angle θ is shown in the figure
(i) In Young’s experiment if double slit is replaced by the single slit then dark and bright bands are
formed due to
(A) Interference
(B) Dispersion
(C) Diffraction
(D) Scattering
(ii) The linear width of the central maximum is
(A) λ/d
(B) 2λ/d
(C ) λ/2d
(D) d/λ
(iii) If the single slit experiment set up is immersed in a liquid of refractive index μ then the fringe width
of central maximum becomes
(A) μ times
(B) μ2 times
(C ) 1/μ times
(D) 1/μ2 times
(iv) To obtain the bright and dark fringe due to the single slit the width of the slit should be
(A) Large than the wavelength of light
(B) Very small than the wavelength of light
(C ) Does not depend on wavelength of light
(D) Comparable to the wavelength of light
