Diagram:

AIM: To determine the number of lines per unit length of given Diffraction
Gratings using He-Ne LASER.

APPARATUS: LASER light source (He-Ne LASER), 3-in-1 diffraction grating

and a meter scale

THEORY: LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of

Radiation. In He-Ne LASER the active medium is a mixture of He and Ne, and it is
a four-level laser. A grating is an arrangement of a number of identical parallel
slits. When a beam of LASER light is incident normally on the surface of a grating
it gets diffracted to form a diffraction pattern made of zero order, first order, second
order and higher orders depending on the grating element. The grating equation
relates the grating element (d), the wavelength of incident light (λ) and the angle of
diffraction (Ѳ) for a given order (m) and is given by

d sinѲ = mλ

d = 1/N

where, N is the number of lines per unit length.

 OBSERVATION TABLE: Wavelength of He-Ne LASER: 6328 Å

Distance of Order of Distance between N

Gratin grating from diffractio two maxima of X tanѲ= X/D Sin (Ѳ) d Mean d No. of
g No. the screen D n (m) same order (cm) (cm) (cm) lines/cm
(cm) 2X (cm)
1 1
2
1
2
2 1
2
1
2
3 1
2
1
2

RESULTS:

Grating number Standard value of N Calculated value of N Percentage Error

No. of lines/cm No. of lines/cm

(Following is instruction, not to write in the journal

Note: If it is difficult to draw the observation table vertically, then draw it horizontally)