7.

NEWTON’S RING

AIM
To determine the mean wavelength of sodium D lines from Newton's Rings
interference patterns.

APPARATUS
1) Travelling microscope
2) Sodium vapour lamp powered by a 35watt transformer
3) Plano-convex 1ens of large radius of curvature
4) Plane glass plate(circular)
5) Beam splitter/partially reflecting glass

THEORY
Newton’s rings interference fringes are an example of a thin film interference
phenomena. It is familiar to the students (from high-school) that when a monochromatic light
is incident at an angle B on a thin transparent film of thickness d with refractive index p, part
of the light reflects off the upper surface and part of it is retracted into the thin medium
with the angle of refraction Q which is then rejected from the bot- tom boundary interface
back into the medium and finally refracted out of the medium in the same direction as the
light rejected from the upper boundary interface. This two light rays then undergo
interference. The optical path difference between the two reflected rays is then 2 ⅆ cos ϕ.

Now if the light is incident normally on an air-film (say a gap between two glass
plates) of thickness d, then µ=1, 𝜙 = 0 and thus the optical path difference between the
two reflected light rays (upper boundary of glass-air interface and lower boundary of air-
glass interface) is simply 2d. Taking into account the phase change of for reflection at the
rare to dense surface (air-glass interface of the lower boundary), the conditions for
constructive and destructive interference are,

1
2𝑑 = (𝑚 + 2) 𝜆 Constructive interference

2ⅆ = mλ Destructive interference (1)

where m is the order of the rings. Furthermore, if the air-film is formed between a
glass plate and a convex lens, then the thickness of the air-film d wit not be constant by will
vary from 0 (at the point of contact between the glass plate and the lens) and increase
radially outward from this point. From Fig. (1), it is apparent that, at a distance r from the
center of the lens (which is the point of contact between the glass plate and the less)

r 2 + (R − ⅆ)2 = R2 (2)
 In the above, R is the radius of curvature of the lens, If the radius of curvature fi of the
lens is much larger compared to d (R>>d), d2 can be neglected the above equation simplifies
to

r2
2ⅆ = (3)
R

Glass Plate

Fig. 1

Substituting this into the condition for destructive interference in Eq.(1), the diameter of
the mth dark ring Dm = 2rm is given by Dm = √4λmR From this, the wavelength of the. light.
can be calculated as
D2m
λ= (4)
4mR

If Dm is the diameter of the mth dark ring and (Dm+p) the diameter of the (m+p)th dark ring,
then the wavelength of the light can also be written as
D2m+P − D2m
λ= (5)
4pR
Finally, to calculate the radius of curvature (given the focal length of the Plano- convex
lens f=100 cm) the lens maker’s formula for thin lens can be used.
1 1 1
= (µ − 1) ( − ) (6)
f R1 R 2
 Taking the refractive index of the glass µ= 1,5, and as R2 = ∞ on for plane surface, the
radius of curvature of the Plano-convex lens, which is R1, in the above equation is simply,
R=50 cm
PROCEDURE

Fig. 2

1) The sodium vapour lamp should always be used with the 36W transformer. It takes
about 15 minutes for the Na vapour lamp to light up to its full intensity. therefore, plan
the experiment accordingly.

2) Before starting the experiment make sure that the glass and the plano-convex lens
are free from smudges. Do not touch the surface of the lens with the finger under
any circumstances. Hold the lens and the glass plate by the rim if needed

3) The schematic diagram of the experimental set-up is shown in Fig. (2).

4) Place the plano-convex lens on top of the glass plate on the wooden platform provided in
the housing of the glass re8ector. Make sure that the surface in contact with the glass
plate is the convex surface of the plano-convex lens and that the lens is placed directly on
 top of the circular glass plate.
5) Place the wooden housing with the lens on top of the glass plate in front of the Na
lamp. Look vertically doom directly through the glass reflector so that the eyes are in
the position of wherr'. the travelling microscope is supposed to be. Adjust the angle
of the reflector till a clear image of the Na lamp, reflected vertically upward from the
system of plano-convex lens on top of glass plate is observed.
6) Place the travelling microscope in exactly along the line of sight from which the image of
the lamp was observed with the naked eye. Make sure that the line of sight of the
microscope is roughly at the center of the lens.
7) Adjust the focus of the microscope until a clear, focussed, bright image of the Newton's
rings interference pattern is observed. The centre of the interference rings should be
dark. If the centre is not a dark spot, it could be because of dust contaminants between
the glass-lens interface.
8) Sometimes the rings might be well formed but part of the fringes may be dimmer than
others. This is because optimal light is not being received by the micro- scope. To fix this,
view the rings through the microscope and very slightly rotate the wooden housing to
the left of right till a uniformly bright rings are observed
9) Once a well defined and bright rings are formed, align the cross hair of the microscope to
the central dark spot. Make absolutely sure that the cross-hair is aligned properly so that
when the microscope rides on the scale, the horizontal hair movee in parallel with the
microscope, Lock the microscope on the scale and using the screw knob or the right of
the travelling microscope, move the microscope horizontally so that the cross-hair
moves to the left or right from the center of the rings towards outer rings. Count the
dark rings as the cross-hair passes until about 26th dark ring.
10) Fix the cross-hair on the dark ring so that the vertical arm of the cross-hair is
tangential to the dark rings. At this point, the horizontal arm of the cross- hair should
be exactly bisecting through the central dark spot. If not, then adjust the cross-fair
by rotating the eye-piece to that the horizontal arm crosses through the central dark
spot. Once this in achieved, the set-up should not be disturbed for the remainder of
the experiment save for the horizontal motion of the microscope of the main scale.
11) Note down the position of the microscope from the readings on the main scale and the
vernier scale of the travelling microscope. Note down the order of the rings (say m = 25).
Once this is done, move the microscope to the next inner dark ring (m = 24) and note
down the position for this dark ring. Continue with the measurements for the successive
inner dark rings till the central dark spot is reached. Note down the position of the central
dark spot. Then move to the other side of the rings and continue recording the positions
of the successive larger dark rings till the outermost ring (m = 25} ring is reached.
12) If the exact order of the ring (m) is not known in the beginning, there is no need to worry.
Just call the outermost ring considered as some n. Then the next inner dark ring will be
 (n — 1), (n — 2) and so on, until the central dark spot is reached at some (n — f). But
(m — 0) for central dark spot, therefore n = l.
13) Calculate the wavelength of the mean Na emission for each m using Eq.(4). Calculate the
mean and standard deviation of the wavelength samples.

OBSERVATIONS AND CALCULATIONS

Least count of travelling microscope(L.C) =

Total Reading (T) = MSR + (VSR× L.C)

Left Side Right Side

Total Total Dm=|L-R| mD2
Sl. No m MSR VSR λ = 4mR
(L) MSR VSR (R)
(cm) (nm)

1 24
2 23
3 22
4 21
.
.
.

Mean wavelength λ =
**) Do the appropriate error analysis.
RESULT
Wavelength of the Sodium D line λ = nm

PRECAUTIONS
1) Sodium vapor lamp should always be used with 35 W transformer. Never connect it
directly to power plug.
2) Angle of the glass reflector should be maintained at 450 throughout the experiment to get
focused and clear ring structure.
3) Please handle all optical instruments very carefully specially travelling microscope and
lenses.