To find the wavelength of sodium light by Fresnel’s Biprism pate of Performance Grade Faculty’s Signature__ Date. Apparatus ‘A slit of variable width, sodium lamp, Fresnel’s biprism, optical bench, eye piece with micrometer and convex lens. Theory A biprism may be regarded as a combination of two prisms of very small refracting angles (1/2') placed base to base. The purpose of biprism is to produce two coherent images S, and S, of a given slit S, which are separated by a distance ‘2d’ and behave as two coherent sources (Figure 1). S is a narrow vertical slit (ie. perpendicular to the plane of paper) illuminated by a monochromatic light beam and D is the distance between the source and screen. The light from slit S$ is allowed to fall symmetrically on the biprism ABC with its refracting edge vertical. The interference occurs in the shaded region. The width of the interference fringes and hence the wavelength of the light used can be determined with the help of Figure 2. The distance of the biprism from the source is ‘a’ and the distance of biprism from the screen is ‘b’. i P Region of Interference44 _ | Physics Laboratory Manual Part-I P | s: Q oO 2a =«S 1 os R D Seren Figure 2 For a point P on the screen, path traveled by ray 1 is S;P and that by ray 2 is S:P such that, (S,P) =D? +(x, -a¥ (S,P) =D? +(x, +d) Where, x, is the distance of the n" fringe from the center point ‘O°, which is equidistant from the two sources. Therefore, (S,P)’ -(5,P) =(x, +4)’ -(x, -af or, (S,P-S,P)(S,P+5S,P)=4x,d if D>>2d, then (S,P+8,P)=2D Hence, the path difference, 4x, =S,P —S,P xd pea or ae, =2% 2D. Ax, (a)45 TIE NORTHCAP UNIVERSITY Fringe width For point P to be bright, phase difference between the t s le of 27. Hence the path difference of n" fringe from the colts iin Uy; ould be on rr where, 7 =0,1,23, or, de, =m 2 © from(a)and(b), x, = 224 2d Similarly, the path difference for (n+1)" fringe ean be written x oUt) DA at 5 Distance between two consecutive fringes (ftinge width) =x,,-x, =24 B=x,, oa | Similarly, point P to be dark, Ax -Alensi\a 7m (2n41)D2 4d Da | dd pare =e which is same as for bright fringes. Hence by measuring 2d, and D, we can determine the wave length 2. ‘There are many methods to produce two coherent sources S; and $2. In the present experiment the two coherent sources S; and S; are produced from a single source S using a Fresnel biprism as shown in Figure 2. The rays from a fine slit which is illuminated by a sodium lamp are allowed to pass through a symmetrically biprism with its refracting edge parallel to the slit. The beams of light pass through the two halves of the biprism overlap after refraction and are in a condition to interfere as if the two light beams are coming from two virtual coherent sources S, and S. {As will be discussed in the section on Procedure, in order to measure d and D, we put a convex lens between the biprism and the eye piece. For a fixed position of the eyepiece (used to view the fringes) there will be two positions of the lens L, and L2., one can measure the distance of two images from | the object for the two consecutive positions of the lens L; and L>. The magnification in these two | ‘cases would be given by: 'We know that for a lens, the object, where /is the size of the image and 0 is the size of the ob) Si Sr Screen Figure 3 8 ' v is the distance of image from the pole of lens and w is the distance of object from the pole of the lens. Hence from figure 3, for first position of the lens Ly Multiplying the equations (i) & (ii), we get d,d, (2ay or, 2d = ad, Alternative method for determination of 2d If wis the refractive index of the material of the biprism, A is the angle of prism and x is the distance between the slit and biprism, then =I 2d =2x (u-I)AManual Part-1| 47 IIE NORTHICAP UNIVERSITY. Physies Laborat Measurement of D Further the distance “D* between the slit and the screen PQ is given by D=utv=by+ by where bi =u (or v) and b; = v (or u) are respectively the distances between the eyepiece and the postions of L; and L; ofthe lens Biprism =_ — —" —_= — Si — = —_ — Sz — Lateral shift Slit Biprism = —_— Si _— = s & = — Slit No Lateral shift Figure 448 NCU THE NORTHCA Physics Laboratory Manual Ps OO Procedure ith the help of spit level and the, I 10. i. IZ, ‘al bench is levelled w First of all the bed of optic cove pie serews. After that the slit, biprism and t to each other. ae, Light from a monochromatic light source (sodium se nea to fall on t bench and the lamp are so adjusted that maximum light en ged at ae Se The biprism is now brought near to the slit and the two Imdiies © et be seen throug, the biprism, Two images can be located by slightly eee bah a . tits own aye fs a perpendicular direction to the bench). Two images are pee pa clear by TOlating the biprism in its own (vertical) plane with the help of the tangs ; : ae Keep the eye piece at a certain distance (say 100cm) and a ee locate the fringes. The dian D (see Fig. 2) must be greater than 4 times the focal length of the convex lens you wouig using later for measurement of 2d and D. Fringes may not be visible at the first attempy due tg many reasons. Check the followings: a) The width of the slit : It has to be large enough to pass enough light but small enough a good contrast. b) Alignment of slit and edge of biprism.: They should be parralel to each other. ©) The fringes may not be in the field of view of the eyepiece due to misalignment of sy, biprism and the eyepiece. It is suggested that one could start with the eyepiece close the biprism and increase the separation adjusting the alignment so that the fringes ar always in the filed of view. If the line joining the center of the slit and the edge of the biprism is not parallel to the length of the bench, there will be a lateral shift in the fringes, which should be removed (Figure 4), For this the eye-piece is slowly moved away from the biprism, The fringes will move to the right or left. The base screw of the biprism upright is moved in such a direction that the fringes come back in the middle of the field of view. Now move the eye-piece towards the biprism, the fringe pattern will move towards left or right This time the fringes are brought to the middle position by moving the base screw of the eye- piece upright. Steps 5 and 6 are repeated until the lateral shift is removed. Now place the eye-piece at such a distance from biprism (say 100 cm) where fringes are widely spaced but are distinct and bright. The crosswire is moved to one side of the fringes. Now the crosswire is fixed at the center of the bright fringe and the micrometer reading is noted. Now, moving the micrometer screw in the same direcrtion readings are noted for every second bright fringe. To measure the distance 2d between the two virtual sources by displacement method (Figue 3) a convex lens is introduced between the biprism and the eye-piece. The convex lens i moved towards the biprism to obtain sharp and focused images of the two virtual sources. The distance between the two images (d;) is measured using the micrometer screw of the eye-pieet The lens is removed now away from the biprism and a second position of lens is obtained where the images of the sources S, and S are again sharp and focused. The distance betwee™ the two images d, is measured using the micrometer screw of the eye-piece. ate ens between the slit and the eye-piece upright is read on the scale attached with the ench. 5 are adjusted at the Same height ang lit all he slit, The1M NORTHICAP UNIVERSITY Physics Laboratory Manual Part 49 Observations {Value of one division on the main scale No. of division on the circular scale east count of the micrometer screw m 1) Table -I: For measurement of fringe width B* Micrometer Reading Width of | Mean value | Fringe two Fringes | of 2 fringes | Width Xuer- Xe (em) mea MS4em) | CS. Division | Total em) baa _ Xa(em) (em) 1 3 5 1 9 u 13, | 2) Table -II: For measurement of 2d: l Micrometer Reading for ‘Micrometer Reading for ld | Seal os 1" position of lens 11 position of lens [d,,| e | Timage | 2“ image | di=x-x, | 1” image | 2“image | do=y:-yi a cat | (em) MS. (cm) cs. (Divi sion) Total | x1 = tl ye ye Read ing (om) 3) Measurement of distance between the source and screen D Position of slit, x em. Position of eye-piece, ¥ em, Distance, D = x~y em,Laboratory Manual Part Calculations Result The wavelength of sodium light is % = 5893 A The standard value of the wavelength of sodium light Standard Res Experimental Rest gp Standard Result % Error = Sources of Error and Precautions All the uprights should be set at the same level. The slit should be vertical and narrow. Lateral shift of image should be properly removed. 7 The focal length of the convex lens should be shorter than % " of the separation between ty slit and the eye-piece. 5. Observations are taken for large numberof fringes and the crosswire should be set atthe cen of each fringe. Pepe