Engineering Physics
Lecture 10
Module 2 : Wave Optics
Ajith S Kumar
18-1-2021
The Grating equation
Dispersive power of a grating
Dispersive power refers to the ability of the grating to produce large angular separation between tow nearby lines.
Uses of grating
1. Determination of wavelength
2. Spectral resolution
3. Spectral composition of light source
Grating spectra and prism spectra
1. Grating gives a spectrum due to diffraction whereas prism gives spectrum due to dispersion.
2. Grating spectrum is very weak compared to spectrum obtained with a prism due to
1. Total energy is distributed among various orders. Hence any particular order is weak. In the case of prism the
entire energy is observed in a single spectrum.
2. A major part of the incident light is obstructed by the opaque parts of the grating.
3. The resolving power of grating is very high compared to prism.
4. Most deviated line in a grating is red, whereas n=in a prism spectru, the most deviated ling is violet.
5. The dispersive power of grating is almost constant for a particular order. Hence, the spectral lines are somewhat
evenly distributed. For a prism, the dispersive power is not constant and is high for violet.
Resolving power and Rayleigh’s Criterion for
resolution
The ability of an optical instrument to form distinctly separate images of two nearby points of an object is called
its resolving power.
Limit of resolution is defined as the smallest separation of two points in the object that can be distinctly
reproduced in the image.
Resolving power and Rayleigh’s Criterion for
resolution
According to Rayleigh’s criterion, two images are just resolved if the central maximum of intensity curve for one
image falls at the first minimum of the other image and vice versa.
Resolving power and Rayleigh’s Criterion for
resolution
Examples
1. In a single slit diffraction pattern the distance between the 1 st minimum on right and the left is 5.2 mm. The
screen is at a distance of 0.8 m from the slit and the wavelength of light used is . Calculate the width of the slit.
2. When a diffraction grating is used at nomal incidence it is found that the image at sonsists of an yellow line of
wavelength of the nth order spectrum superimposed on a blue line () of spectrum of order (n+1). What is the
width of the grating element?
