International University,

Vietnam National University, HCMC

Physics 4
Tran Nguyen Lan, Ph.D
Department of Physics, HCMIU-VNU
Phone: 0905 623 462, email: lantrann@gmail.com
Office: room A1.503

Week 05
Let’s practice
Problem 1: Monochromatic green light, of wavelength 550 nm,
illuminates two parallel narrow slits 7.70 mm apart. Calculate the
angular deviation of the third-order bright fringe (a) in radians and
(b) in degrees

θ = sin-1(kλ/d)
Problem 2: In a double-slit experiment, the distance between slits
is 5.0 mm and the slits are 1.0 m from the screen. Two interference
patterns can be seen on the screen: one due to light of wavelength
480 nm, and the other due to light of wavelength 600 nm. What is
the separation on the screen between the third-order bright fringes
of the two interference patterns?

Δy = yBRIGHT – y’BRIGHT =k (L/d) (λ – λ’)

Δy = 7.2 x 10-5 m
Problem 3: A 600-nm-thick soap film (n = 1.40) in air is illuminated
with white light in a direction perpendicular to the film. For how
many different wavelengths in the 300 to 700 nm range is there (a)
fully constructive interference and (b) fully destructive interference in
the reflected light?

(a) Condition for constructive interference

If 300 nm < λ < 700 nm, m = 2, 3, 4, 5

(b) Condition for destructive interference

If 300 nm < λ < 700 nm, m = 3, 4, 5

Problem 4. Light of wavelength 624 nm is incident perpendicularly
on a soap film (n = 1.33) suspended in air. What are the (a) least
and (b) second least thicknesses of the film for which the
reflections from the film undergo fully constructive interference?

Condition for constructive interference

(a) For the least value of L: m = 0:

(b) For the second least value of L: m = 1:

Problem 5: We wish to coat flat glass (n = 1.50) with a transparent
material (n = 1.25) so that reflection of light at wavelength 600 nm is
eliminated by interference. What minimum thickness can the
coating have to do this?

180o phase
change

Because nglass > nfilm, the condition

for destructive interference
(opposite with case film-air)

For the least thickness m = 0

t = λn/4 = λ/4ncoat
glass nglass > nfilm
Problem 6. A single slit is illuminated by light of wavelengths λa and
λb, chosen so that the first diffraction minimum of the λa component
coincides with the second minimum of the λb component.
(a) If λb = 350 nm, what is λa?
(b) For what order number mb (if any) does a minimum of the λb
component coincide with the minimum of the λa component in
the order number ma = 2?

Condition for minimum

(a) First minimum (m = 1 ) for λa: sinθ = λa/a

Second minimum (m = 2 ) for λb: sinθ =2 λb/a
→ λa = 2 λ b
(b) A minimum in one pattern coincides with a minimum in the
other if they occur at the same angle, which means that
maλa = mb λb
ma = 2 → mb = 4