2 Engineering Physics

1.1 YOung’s DOubLe sLit experiment LO1

The phenomenon of interference may be better understood by taking two point light sources S1 and S2 which
produce similar waves (Fig. 1.1). Let the sources S1 and S2 be at equal distances from the main source S while
being close to each other. Since the sources emit waves in all the directions, the spherical waves first pass
through S and then S1 and S2. Finally these waves expand into the space.
The crests of the waves are represented by complete arcs and the troughs
by dotted arcs. It is seen that constructive interference takes place at the
points where the crests due to one source meet the crests due to another
source or where their troughs meet each other. In this case, the resultant
S1
amplitude will be the sum of the amplitudes of the separate waves and
hence the intensity of the light will be maximum at these points. Similarly, S
at those points where crests due to one source meet the troughs due to S2
another source or vice-versa, the resultant amplitude will be the difference
of the amplitudes of the separate waves. At these points the intensity of
the waves (or light) will be minimum. Therefore, due to the intersection
of these lines, an alternate bright and dark fringes are observed on the Screen
screen placed at the right side of the sources S1 and S2. These fringes are
Figure 1.1
obtained due to the phenomenon of interference of light.

1.2 COnCept Of Waves anD HuYgens’ prinCipLe LO2

A wave is a disturbance that propagates through space and time, usually with the transference of energy from
one point to another without any particle of the medium being permanently displaced. Under this situation,
the particles only oscillate about their equilibrium positions. If the oscillations of the particles are in the
direction of wave propagation, then the wave is called longitudinal wave. However, if these oscillations take
place in perpendicular direction with the direction of wave propagation, the wave is said to be transverse
in nature. In electromagnetic waves, such as light waves, it is the changes in electric and magnetic fields
which represent the wave disturbance. The progress of the wave propagation is described by the passage of a
waveform through the medium with a certain velocity called the phase velocity or wave velocity. However,
the energy is transferred at the group velocity of the waves making the waveform.
The wave theory of the light was proposed in 1678 by Huygens, a Dutch scientist. On the basis of his wave
theory, he explained satisfactorily the phenomena of reflections, refraction etc. In the beginning, Huygens’
supposed that these waves are longitudinal waves but later he came to know that these waves are transverse
in nature. Huygens’ gave a hypothesis for geometrical construction of the position of a common wavefront
at any instant when the propagation of waves takes place in a medium. The wavefront is an imaginary
surface joining the points of constant phase in a wave propagated through the medium. The way in which the
wavefront is propagated further in the medium is given by Huygens’ principle. This principle is based on the
following assumptions:
(i) Each point on the given wavefront acts as a source of secondary wavelets.
(ii) The secondary wavelets from each point travel through space in all the directions with velocity of
light.
(iii) A surface touching the secondary wavelets tangentially in the forward direction at any given time
constructs the new wavefront at that instant. This is known as secondary wavefront.