o n wa v e l e n gt h o f

A Project report n ’s
ht u s in g N e w to
Sodium lig
Rings.
GROUP NO.2 :
● ANKIT SINGH DANGWAL
Rachna Singh (2020UMP4307)
sics, NSUT
Department Of Phy ● SAMARTH BHASIN (2020UMP4308)

● ABHISHEK RAI (2020UMP4309)

i -110078
Dwarka , New Delh
● MAHIR RAZA MALIK (2020UMP4310)

● UDHAY (2020UMP4311)

● ABHINAV RANJAN (2020UMP4312)

● RITIK VERMA (2020UMP4313)

● NIKHIL GAUTAM (2020UMP4373)

INDEX
➔ Brief history
➔ Interference
➔ Newton’s Rings
erivation
➔ Mathematical D
➔ Formulae used
uired
➔ Apparatus Req
➔ Procedure
able
➔ Observations T
➔ Calculations
➔ Result
➔ Precautions
or
➔ Sources Of Err
➔ Applications
➔ References
 INTRODUCTION
Newton’s Ring is the demonstration of the
interference of light waves reflected from
the surface of a thin air film formed
between the plane glass and the convex
lens whose thickness varies while moving
from the center towards the end.
The beams produced from the monochromatic
source satisfy the condition of coherence for
interference. The dark and light fringes which are
of ring shaped are produced by the air file existing
between a plano-convex lens and a plane glass.
 Brief History
ton in 1 71 7, first obs erved an
Isaac New

interference
re fl ec ti o n of li g ht b et ween a
by the
su rf a ce an d an ad ja c e nt flat
spherical n was
lt h o ug h th is p h en o m en o
surface. A 1664.
ed b y R o b e rt H o o k e in
first observ R ing
rn is cal le d as N ew to n ’s
But this patte serv e
s th e fi rs t sc ie n ti st to ob
because he wa
.
and explain the phenomenon
 The phenomena of Interference
When two or more waves having same source and
same frequency (coherent waves) interact with
Each other, then the resulting phenomenon is
known as Interference .

According to the principle of superposition of waves – When two or more waves of same
type are incident at the same point then the total displacement at that point is equal to the
vector sum of the displacements of the individual waves. The superimposing waves can
have constructive or destructive interference.
When crest of the first wave falls on the crest of second wave
and trough of the first wave falls on the trough of the second
wave and then the resultant wave is the vector sum of the
amplitude of the two superimposing waves which is equal to
sum of the amplitude of two waves, this is known as
Constructive Interference. Constructive interference occurs
when the phase difference between the waves is a multiple of
2π.
When crest of the first wave falls on the trough of second wave
and trough of the first wave is falls on the crest of the second
wave and the resultant wave is the vector sum of the amplitude
of the two superimposing waves which is equal to the difference
in amplitude of two waves, this is known as Destructive
Interference. Destructive interference occurs when the phase
difference is an odd multiple of π.
 Newton’s Rings
Newton’s Ring is the phenomenon in which because of the reflection of light
with the two surfaces, (i.e. first with a spherical surface and second with an
adjacent flat surface) interference pattern is created. When we use
a monochromatic source of light, the Newton’s Ring formed appears as a
series of alternating dark and light concentric rings centered at the point of
contact between the lens and the glass surface. Because of the constructive
interference between the light rays reflected from both surfaces, light rings
are
formed while the dark rings are formed because of the destructive
interference.
 Mathematical Derivation

R is the radius of the circle, O is the center of the circle, AC is the diameter, DE is the chord, r is the
distance between D and E, t is the height between the chord of the circle and the plane glass plate (AB).
According to geometrical theorem, the product of intercepts of intersecting chord is equal to the product
of sections of diameter then,
As ‘t’ is very small then t2 will be so small which may be neglected, then

where D is the diameter of the ring.

The path difference between the two rays one reflected from E and the other from F (from figure) is

where θ is the angle of refraction in the air film.

For an air film (μ = 1) between the lens and the glass plate. The path difference is

The ray reflected from F suffers an additional phase change of π or a further increase in the path
difference by λ/2 . Hence the total path difference between the two rays, reflected from E and F
is.

Since the rays are incident normally, θ is zero and hence Cos (θ) =1 .

For the points D and E to lie on a bright fringe

Using any of the two relations, we can find the wavelength of the monochromatic light used. Thus if
Dn and Dn+m denotes the diameters of nth and (n+m)th dark fringes then we have ,
Subtracting we get,

Here R is the radius of curvature of the lens that can be found with a spherometer using the relation
where l is the distance between the two legs of the spherometer and h is the height or the
thickness of the
lens at the center.
 Apparatus required

❖ A nearly monochromatic source of light (source of sodium light)

❖ A plano-convex lens
❖ An optically flat glass plates
❖ A convex lens
❖ Spherometer
❖ A traveling microscope
 PROCEDURE
❖ Place the spherometer on the surface.
❖ Rotate the middle leg till it touches the spherical surface and note the linear scale and
circular scale reading.
❖ The initial reading is then calculated using the formula IR= Main Scale reading + (Circular
Scale reading X Least Count).
❖ Now place the spherometer on a flat surface. Again rotate the middle leg till it just touches
the flat surface and note the main scale and circular scale reading.
❖ The final reading is then calculated using the formula

❖ FR = main scale reading + (circular scale reading*least count)

❖ Height or thickness of the surface is the difference of final reading and the initial reading
❖ h = FR – IR
❖ Place the lens L at a distance equal to its focal length from the sodium lamp to get a parallel
beam of light.
❖ Adjust the microscope vertically above the center of the lens. Focus the
microscope so that alternate dark and light rings are clearly visible.
❖ The first few rings are usually not clear so slide the microscope to the left or right
❖ and set it tangentially at the center of the nth dark ring.
❖ Move the cross wire towards left and set it tangentially at the corner of the (n+p)th
dark ring where n=0,1,2,3,….. .Now move the cross wire towards right and set it
tangentially at the corner of the (n+p)th dark ring where n=0,1,2,3,….. .
❖ Note the main scale and circular scale readings present on the microscope in both the
cases. Find the difference of the values observed for the same left and the right ring .
The result is the diameter of ring formed .
❖ Repeat the procedure for different rings.
❖ Record the observed values in a table.
❖ Now, take out the convex lens and the plane glass out from the case carefully and
measure the radius of curvature of the convex lens and also the height of the convex
lens with the help of the spherometer.
 OBSERVATIONS
● Value of one division of the main scale = 1 mm
● No. of divisions of the vernier scale = 100
● Least count of the microscope = 1 / 100 = 0.01 mm
● Radius of curvature of lens = 100 cm
Table : For the determination of ( D2n+m - D2n )

No. of Readings Diameter D

( a - b ) mm
D2 Rings D2n+m - D2n Mean p
the ( a - b )2mm2 mm2
Left end a Right end
rings In mm b In mm

20 47.83 40.58 7.25 52.63

20-12 19.155
19 47.71 40.65 7.06 49.844 19.306 8
19-11 19.152
18 47.68 40.72 6.96 48.442
17 47.61 40.79 6.82 46.512
18-10 20.352
16 47.50 40.89 6.61 43.692

15 47.39 40.94 6.45 41.603

17-9 20.298
14 47.31 41.02 6.29 39.564

13 47.20 41.24 5.96 35.522

16-8 19.387
12 47.10 41.32 5.78 33.408

11 47.00 41.46 5.54 30.692

15-7 19.419
10 46.88 41.58 5.30 28.090

9 46.78 41.66 5.12 26.214

14-6 19.314
8 46.69 41.76 4.93 24.305

7 46.57 41.86 4.71 22.184

13-5 17.374
6 46.48 41.98 4.50 20.250 19.306
8
5 46.38 42.12 4.26 18.148
Calculation of wavelength
Using Spherometer method: R = (l^2/6 h ) + (h / 2)
= 100 Cms

The wavelength of sodium light is given by: λ = (D²n+m-

D²n)/ 4Rm
= 603.3 nm

The value of (D²n+m-D²n) can also be obtained using a

graph as shown in fig. The graph is plotted between the
square of diameter of the ring along Y-axis and
corresponding number of ring along X-axis.
 Result

The wavelength of sodium light has been determined .

Actual value of sodium light = 598 nm

Wavelength of sodium light calculated theoretically =
603.3nm
Percentage error = 2.42
 Precautions

❖ The microscope should be parallel to the edge of the glass plate.

❖ The mirrors should be in perfectly stable positions when reading are being

❖ There should be no play between the screw and the nut in which it rotates.

❖ To avoid any backlash error, the micrometer screw of the travelling microscope
should be moved very slowly and be moved in one direction while taking observations.

❖ While measuring diameters, the microscope cross-wire should be adjusted in the middle of
the ring.
 Sources Of Error

❖ Backlash error
It's the error in the motion which occurs while changing the direction of gears.

❖ Human errors
Incorrect readings taken by the observer.

❖ Zero Error
If zero line on circular scale does not coincide with zero on the linear scale.

❖ Theoretical Errors
due to Approximations in calculation
 APPLICATIONS
❖ To find wavelength of light used as light source:
As discussed above, interference of light reflected from the lens and the film of air results in a pattern of
alternating light and dark rings referred to as Newton’s rings. The diameter of the dark rings can be used to
determine the wavelength of light used to produce the effect. The formula is:

; D is the diameter, p is the difference in the order of rings

❖ To determine the refractive index of a fluid:

Once the wavelength of the light source has been found using the formula (i)

(i)
(ii)
A few drops of the liquid whose refractive index is to be measured, is poured onto the glass slab, so that the film
formed of varying thickness is of that fluid. The wavelength of incident light remains the same and is given by
(ii)
By dividing the two equations we can get the refractive index of the liquid using
 REFERENCES
❖ Wikipedia
❖ Excellup
❖ Physics.org
 Contributions
● ANKIT : Mathematical Derivation

● SAMARTH: Calculations, Result

● ABHISHEK : Observations Table

● MAHIR: Applications

● UDHAY: Application, Observation Readings

● ABHINAV : Apparatus, Precautions, Sources of Error

● RITIK : History, Theory

● NIKHIL : Procedure