Topic 9.

3 Interference Past IB P1 P2 Questions [78 marks]

1. [1 mark]
A transparent liquid film of refractive index 1.5 coats the outside of a glass lens of higher
refractive index. The liquid film is used to eliminate reflection from the lens at wavelength λ
in air.
What is the minimum thickness of the liquid film coating and the phase change at the
liquid–glass interface?

2. [1 mark]
The graph shows the variation with diffraction angle of the intensity of light
when monochromatic light is incident on four slits.

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The number of slits is increased keeping the width and the separation of the slits
unchanged.
Three possible changes to the pattern are
I. the separation of the primary maxima increases
II. the intensity of the primary maxima increases
III. the width of the primary maxima decreases.
Which of the possible changes are correct?

A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II and III

3. [1 mark]
A beam of monochromatic light is incident normally on a diffraction grating. The grating
spacing is d. The angles between the different orders are shown on the diagram.

What is the expression for the wavelength of light used?

𝑑𝑑 sin 𝛼𝛼
A. 2
𝑑𝑑 sin 𝛽𝛽
B. 2

C. d sin α
D. d sin β
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4. [1 mark]
Monochromatic light of wavelength λ in air is incident normally on a thin film of refractive
index n. The film is surrounded by air. The intensity of the reflected light is a minimum.
What is a possible thickness of the film?
𝜆𝜆
A. 4𝑛𝑛
3𝜆𝜆
B. 4𝑛𝑛
𝜆𝜆
C. 𝑛𝑛
5𝜆𝜆
D. 4𝑛𝑛

5. [1 mark]
Monochromatic light is incident on 4 rectangular, parallel slits. The first principal maximum
is observed at an angle θ to the direction of the incident light. The number of slits is
increased to 8 each having the same width and spacing as the first 4.
Three statements about the first principal maximum with 8 slits are
I. the angle at which it is observed is greater than θ
II. its intensity increases
III. its width decreases.
Which statements are correct?

A. I and II only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. I, II and III

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6. [1 mark]
A beam of monochromatic light is incident on a diffraction grating of N lines per unit
length. The angle between the first orders is θ1.

What is the wavelength of the light?

sin𝜃𝜃1
A. 𝑁𝑁

B. N sin θ1
𝜃𝜃
C. N sin� 21 �
𝜃𝜃
sin� 1 �
2
D.
𝑁𝑁

7. [1 mark]
Monochromatic light is incident on two identical slits to produce an interference pattern
on a screen. One slit is then covered so that no light emerges from it. What is the change to
the pattern observed on the screen?

A. Fewer maxima will be observed.

B. The intensity of the central maximum will increase.
C. The outer maxima will become narrower.
D. The width of the central maximum will decrease.

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8. [1 mark]
A transparent liquid forms a parallel-sided thin film in air. The diagram shows a ray I
incident on the upper air–film boundary at normal incidence (the rays are shown at an
angle to the normal for clarity).

Reflections from the top and bottom surfaces of the film result in three rays J, K and L.
Which of the rays has undergone a phase change of 𝜋𝜋 rad?
A. J only
B. J and L only
C. J and K only
D. J, K and L

9. [1 mark]
For fringes to be observed in a double-slit interference experiment, the slits must emit
waves that are coherent.
What conditions are required for the frequency of the waves and for the phase difference
between the waves so that the waves are coherent?

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10. [1 mark]
Blue light is incident on two narrow slits. Constructive interference takes place along
the lines labelled 1 to 5.

The blue light is now replaced by red light. What additional change is needed so that the
lines of constructive interference remain in the same angular positions?
A. Make the slits wider
B. Make the slits narrower
C. Move the slits closer together
D. Move the slits further apart

11. [1 mark]
Monochromatic light is incident on a double slit. Both slits have a finite width. The light
then forms an interference pattern on a screen some distance away. Which graph shows the
variation of intensity with distance from the centre of the pattern?

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12. [1 mark]
Light of wavelength λ is incident normally on a diffraction grating that has a slit separation
7𝜆𝜆
of 2 . What is the greatest number of maxima that can be observed using this arrangement?

A. 4
B. 6
C. 7
D. 9
13. [1 mark]
In a double-slit interference experiment, the following intensity pattern is observed for light
of wavelength λ.

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 𝜆𝜆
The distance between the slits is d. What can be deduced about the value of the ratio 𝑑𝑑 and
the effect of single-slit diffraction in this experiment?

14. [1 mark]
Which of the following experiments provides evidence for the existence of matter waves?
A. Scattering of alpha particles
B. Electron diffraction
C. Gamma decay
D. Photoelectric effect

15a. [3 marks]
Monochromatic coherent light is incident on two parallel slits of negligible width a distance
d apart. A screen is placed a distance D from the slits. Point M is directly opposite the
midpoint of the slits.

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Initially the lower slit is covered and the intensity of light at M due to the upper slit alone is
22 W m-2. The lower slit is now uncovered.
Deduce, in W m-2, the intensity at M.

15b. [2 marks]
P is the first maximum of intensity on one side of M. The following data are available.
d = 0.12 mm
D = 1.5 m
Distance MP = 7.0 mm
Calculate, in nm, the wavelength λ of the light.

15c. [1 mark]
The width of each slit is increased to 0.030 mm. D, d and λ remain the same.
Suggest why, after this change, the intensity at P will be less than that at M.

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15d. [2 marks]
Show that, due to single slit diffraction, the intensity at a point on the screen a distance of
28 mm from M is zero.

16a. [3 marks]
The diagram shows the position of the principal lines in the visible spectrum of atomic
hydrogen and some of the corresponding energy levels of the hydrogen atom.

Determine the energy of a photon of blue light (435nm) emitted in the hydrogen spectrum.

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16b. [1 mark]
Identify, with an arrow labelled B on the diagram, the transition in the hydrogen spectrum
that gives rise to the photon with the energy in (a)(i).
16c. [2 marks]
Explain your answer to (a)(ii).

16d. [2 marks]
A low-pressure hydrogen discharge lamp contains a small amount of deuterium gas in
addition to the hydrogen gas. The deuterium spectrum contains a red line with a
wavelength very close to that of the hydrogen red line. The wavelengths for the principal
lines in the visible spectra of deuterium and hydrogen are given in the table.

Light from the discharge lamp is normally incident on a diffraction grating.

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The light illuminates a width of 3.5 mm of the grating. The deuterium and hydrogen red
lines can just be resolved in the second-order spectrum of the diffraction grating. Show that
the grating spacing of the diffraction grating is about 2 × 10–6 m.

16e. [3 marks]
Calculate the angle between the first-order line of the red light in the hydrogen spectrum
and the second-order line of the violet light in the hydrogen spectrum.

16f. [3 marks]
The light source is changed so that white light is incident on the diffraction grating. Outline
the appearance of the diffraction pattern formed with white light.

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17a. [3 marks]
A beam of coherent monochromatic light from a distant galaxy is used in an optics
experiment on Earth.
The beam is incident normally on a double slit. The distance between the slits is 0.300 mm.
A screen is at a distance D from the slits. The diffraction angle θ is labelled.

A series of dark and bright fringes appears on the screen. Explain how a dark fringe is
formed.

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17b. [1 mark]
A beam of coherent monochromatic light from a distant galaxy is used in an optics
experiment on Earth.
The beam is incident normally on a double slit. The distance between the slits is 0.300 mm.
A screen is at a distance D from the slits. The diffraction angle θ is labelled.

Outline why the beam has to be coherent in order for the fringes to be visible.

17c. [2 marks]
The wavelength of the beam as observed on Earth is 633.0 nm. The separation between a
dark and a bright fringe on the screen is 4.50 mm. Calculate D.

17d. [3 marks]
The graph of variation of intensity with diffraction angle for this experiment is shown.

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Calculate the angular separation between the central peak and the missing peak in the
double-slit interference intensity pattern. State your answer to an appropriate number of
significant figures.

17e. [2 marks]
Deduce, in mm, the width of one slit.

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17f. [2 marks]
The wavelength of the light in the beam when emitted by the galaxy was 621.4 nm.
Explain, without further calculation, what can be deduced about the relative motion of the
galaxy and the Earth.

18a. [1 mark]
Monochromatic light from two identical lamps arrives on a screen.

The intensity of light on the screen from each lamp separately is I0.
On the axes, sketch a graph to show the variation with distance x on the screen of
the intensity I of light on the screen.

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18b. [3 marks]
Monochromatic light from a single source is incident on two thin, parallel slits.

The following data are available.

Slit separation = 0.12 mm
Wavelength = 680 nm
Distance to screen = 3.5 m
The intensity I of light at the screen from each slit separately is I0. Sketch, on the axes, a
graph to show the variation with distance x on the screen of the intensity of light on the
screen for this arrangement.

The slit separation is increased. Outline one change observed on the screen.

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19a. [2 marks]
Yellow light from a sodium lamp of wavelength 590 nm is incident at normal incidence on a
double slit. The resulting interference pattern is observed on a screen. The intensity of the
pattern on the screen is shown.

The distance from the centre of the pattern to A is 4.1 x 10–2 m. The distance from the
screen to the slits is 7.0 m.

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Calculate the separation of the two slits.

The double slit is replaced by a diffraction grating that has 600 lines per millimetre. The
resulting pattern on the screen is shown.

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The yellow light is made from two very similar wavelengths that produce two lines in the
spectrum of sodium. The wavelengths are 588.995 nm and 589.592 nm. These two lines can
just be resolved in the second-order spectrum of this diffraction grating. Determine the
beam width of the light incident on the diffraction grating.

A student investigates how light can be used to measure the speed of a toy train.

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Light from a laser is incident on a double slit. The light from the slits is detected by a light
sensor attached to the train.
The graph shows the variation with time of the output voltage from the light sensor as the
train moves parallel to the slits. The output voltage is proportional to the intensity of light
incident on the sensor.

Explain, with reference to the light passing through the slits, why a series of voltage peaks
occurs.

The slits are separated by 1.5 mm and the laser light has a wavelength of 6.3 x 10–7 m. The
slits are 5.0 m from the train track. Calculate the separation between two adjacent positions
of the train when the output voltage is at a maximum.

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Estimate the speed of the train.

A student investigates how light can be used to measure the speed of a toy train.

The graph shows the variation with time of the output voltage from the light sensor as the
train moves parallel to the slits. The output voltage is proportional to the intensity of light
incident on the sensor.

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As the train continues to move, the first diffraction minimum is observed when the light
sensor is at a distance of 0.13 m from the centre of the fringe pattern.

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Suggest the variation in the output voltage from the light sensor that will be observed as the
train moves beyond the first diffraction minimum.

In another experiment the student replaces the light sensor with a sound sensor. The train
travels away from a loudspeaker that is emitting sound waves of constant amplitude and
frequency towards a reflecting barrier.

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Printed for SISLI TERAKKI HIGH SCH
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2021
International Baccalaureate® - Baccalauréat International® - Bachillerato Internacional®

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