SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Wave Optics
1 Explain Doppler effect in light. Distinguish between red shift and blue shift.

Answer

Doppler’s effect in light: To an observer on the earth the light from a star moving towards him appears with high
frequency or less wavelength. Similarly, the apparent wavelength is high in the case of star moving away from him.
This change in apparent frequency or wavelength of light due to relative motion of the source is called Doppler
effect.
𝚫𝐯 𝐕
The Doppler shift is given by = − 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥
𝐯 𝐜
Where 𝑽𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍 is component of source velocity along the line joining the observer and the source and 𝒄 is velocity of
light.
𝑽𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍 is positive when source is moving away from the observer.

The red shift: When a light source is moving away from an observer with a velocity v then frequency observed by the
observer is less than the frequency emitted by the source (or) the apparent wavelength increases i.e., shift towards
the red end of the system.
 Wave Optics
1 Explain Doppler effect in light. Distinguish between red shift and blue shift.

Answer

The blue shift: When a light source is approaching an observer with a relative velocity v then the apparent frequency
observed by the observer is more than the frequency emitted by the source (or) the apparent wavelength decreases
i.e. shift towards the blue end of the spectrum.
 Wave Optics
2 What is total internal reflection. Explain the phenomenon using Huygens principle.

Answer
Total Internal Reflection: When a light ray is travelling from a denser medium to a rarer medium and the angle
of incidence is greater than critical angle, the light reflects into the same medium. This phenomenon is known
as total in
Explanation:
Let us consider a wavefront travelling the from a denser medium to
rarer medium. Then 𝒗𝟐 > 𝒗𝟏 , where 𝒗𝟐 is the velocity of the wave in
rarer medium and 𝒗𝟏 is the velocity of the wave is denser medium.
1. According to Huygen’s principles if the angle of incidence
increases, it bends away from the normal as shown in the fig.
2. At critical angle, 𝒊 = 𝒊𝒄 , the refracted ray grazes the boundary.
 Wave Optics
2 What is total internal reflection. Explain the phenomenon using Huygens principle.

Answer
3. If the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle 𝒊 > 𝒊𝒄 , we will not be have any refracted wave
and the wave will undergo total internal reflection.
 Wave Optics
3 Derive the expression for the intensity at a point where interference of light occurs. Arrive at the
conditions for maximum and zero intensity.
Answer
i) Let us consider two slits 𝑺𝟏 and 𝑺𝟐 are separated by a distance ‘d’.
ii) 𝑶 is the mid point between the two slits.
iii) Consider a point P on the screen. The waves from 𝑺𝟏 and 𝑺𝟐 have
amplitude a and are in same phase.
iv) The difference between the distances 𝜹 is called the path difference.
Let the corresponding phase difference is 𝝓.

Let 𝒚𝟏 = 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝎𝒕, 𝒚𝟐 = 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏(𝝎𝒕 + 𝝓)

The resultant displacement y of the waves.
𝒚 = 𝒚𝟏 + 𝒚𝟐 = 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝎𝒕 + 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏(𝝎𝒕 + 𝝓)
𝒚 = 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝎𝒕 + 𝒂[𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝎𝒕𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝓 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝎𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝓]
 Wave Optics
3 Derive the expression for the intensity at a point where interference of light occurs. Arrive at the
conditions for maximum and zero intensity.
Answer
𝒚 = 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝎𝒕 + 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝎𝒕𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝓 + 𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝎𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝓
𝒚 = 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝎𝒕 𝟏 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝓 + 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝓𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝎𝒕 → (𝟏)
Let 𝒂 𝟏 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝓 = 𝑹𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜶 → (𝟐)
𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝓 = 𝑹𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜶 → (𝟑)
Substitute (2) and (3) in (1)
𝒚 = 𝑹𝒔𝒊𝒏(𝝎𝒕 + 𝜶) ; y is the resultant displacement due to waves at P
𝟐 𝟐 + 𝟑 𝟐 ⇒ 𝑹𝟐 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜶 + 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟐 𝜶 = 𝒂𝟐 [𝟏 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝝓 + 𝟐𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝓 + 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟐 𝝓]

𝑹𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 [𝟏 + 𝟏 + 𝟐𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝓]
𝑹𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 [𝟐 + 𝟐𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝓]
𝝓
𝑹𝟐 = 𝟐𝒂𝟐 𝟏 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝝓 = 𝟐𝐚𝟐 𝟐𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝟐
𝟐
𝝓
⇒ 𝑹𝟐 = 𝟒𝒂𝟐 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐
𝟐
 Wave Optics
3 Derive the expression for the intensity at a point where interference of light occurs. Arrive at the
conditions for maximum and zero intensity.
Answer
But 𝑰 is the resultant intensity at 𝑷.
𝑰 ∝ 𝑹𝟐
𝝓
𝑰 = 𝟒𝒂𝟐 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐
𝟐
Conditions for zero intensity: If 𝝓 = 𝝅, 𝟑𝝅, 𝟓𝝅, … 𝟐𝒏 + 𝟏 𝝅
𝝓
𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 =𝟎
𝟐
𝑰 = 𝟎 (minimum)
Conditions for maximum intensity: If 𝝓 = 𝟎, 𝟐𝝅, 𝟒𝝅 … (𝟐𝒏𝝅)
𝝓
𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 =𝟏
𝟐
𝟐
𝑰 = 𝟒𝒂 (maximum)
 Wave Optics
4 Does the principle of conservation of energy hold for interference and diffraction phenomena?
Explain briefly.
Answer
1. Yes, the principle of conservation of energy holds good for the phenomenon
of interference and diffraction.
2. In case of interference, the energy will disappear at the position of dark
bands and his energy will be appeared at the position of bright bands. Thus
energy remains constant. So principle of conservation of energy holds good
for interference.
3. In interference and diffraction redistribution of energy takes place. The
energy of dark band is transferred to bright band. Thus average energy of
waves remains same. There is no loss or gain of energy due to formation of
dark and bright bands in interference and diffraction of light thus they do not
violate law of conservation of energy.
 Wave Optics
4 Does the principle of conservation of energy hold for interference and diffraction phenomena?
Explain briefly.
Answer
4. In diffraction phenomenon interference will takes place. Therefore, principle
of conservation of energy is also holds good for diffraction.
 Wave Optics
5 How do you determine the resolving power of your eye?
Answer
1. You can estimate the resolving power of your eye with a simple experiment.
2. Make back stripes of equal width separated by white stripes; see figure here.
3. All the black stripes should be of equal width, while the width of the intermediate white stripes should increase as
you go from the left to the right.
4. For example, let all black stripes have a width of 5 mm. Let the width
of the first two white stripes be 0.5 mm each, the next two white
stripes be 1 mm each, the next two 1.5 mm each, etc.

5. Paste this pattern on a wall in a room or laboratory, at the height of your eye.
6. Now watch the pattern, preferably with one eye.
7. By moving away or closer to the wall, find the position where you can just see some two black stripes as separate
stripes.
8. All the black stripes to the left of this stripe would merge into one another and would not be distinguishable. On
the other hand, the black stripes to the right of this would be more and more clearly visible.
 Wave Optics
5 How do you determine the resolving power of your eye?
Answer
9. Not the width d of the white stripe which separate the two regions, and measure the distance D of the wall from
your eye.
10. Then 𝒅/𝑫 is the resolution of your eye.
 Wave Optics
6 Discuss the intensity of transmitted light when a Polaroid sheet is rotated two crossed Polaroids.

Answer
1. Let 𝑰𝒐 be the intensity of polarized light after passing through the first polarizer 𝑷𝟏 .
2. Then the intensity of light after passing through second polarizer 𝑷𝟐 will be 𝑰 = 𝑰𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜽 where 𝜽 is the
angle between pass axes of 𝑷𝟏 and 𝑷𝟐 .
3. Since 𝑷𝟏 and 𝑷𝟑 are crossed the angle between the pass
𝝅
axes of 𝑷𝟐 and 𝑷𝟑 will be − 𝜽 .
𝟐
4. Hence the intensity of light emerging from 𝑷𝟑 will be 𝑰 =
𝝅
𝑰𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜽𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 −𝜽
𝟐
= 𝑰𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜽𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟐 𝜽
𝑰
= 𝒐 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟐𝜽 𝟐
𝟒

Therefore, the transmitted intensity will be maximum when 𝜽 = 𝝅/𝟒

 Wave Optics
7 What is polarization of light? Explain Brewster’s law.

Answer
Polarization of light: The phenomenon of confining the vibrations in a
specific direction normal to the direction of wave propagation is called
polarization.

Brewster’s Law: When unpolarized light is incident on the boundary

between two transparent media, the reflected lights polarized with its
electric vector perpendicular to the plane of incidence and the tangent of
angle of polarization is numerically equal to the refractive index of the
medium i.e. 𝝁 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒑

That is called as Brewster’s law.

𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒊 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒑 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒑
∴ From Snell’s law, 𝝁 = = 𝝅 = = 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒑
𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐 −𝒊𝒑 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒑
 Wave Optics
7 What is polarization of light? Explain Brewster’s law.

Answer
Proof: 𝝁 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒊𝑷
𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒊𝑷 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒊𝑷
=
𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒊𝑷
∴ 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒓 = 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝒊𝑷
𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒓 = 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟗𝟎° − 𝒊𝑷
∴ 𝒓 = 𝟗𝟎° − 𝒊𝑷
∴ 𝒓 + 𝒊𝑷 = 𝟗𝟎°
∴ 𝒊𝑷 = 𝒓′
∴ 𝒓′𝒓 = 𝟗𝟎°