EXPERIMENT NO.

- 2
Fresnel’s Bi-prism
OBJECT: To determine the wavelength of sodium light with the help of Fresnel’s Bi-prism.

APPARATUS USED: Optical bench with four uprights, sodium lamp, Bi-prism device, convex
lens, slit, a micrometer with eye piece, and table lamp.

FORMULA USED: Wavelength λ can be found by using formula (see figure 1.)

β * 2d
λ=
D

Where β = fringe width,

D = distance between the slit and micrometer eye,

2d = distance between the two virtual sources.

2d can be found by using formula (see figure 2.)

2d = d1d 2

Where d1= distance between the two images formed by the convex lens at 1 position (L1).
d2= distance between the two images formed by the convex lens at 2 position (L2).

OBSERVATIONS:

Pitch of the screw (X) =……………..mm

Total No. of divisions on the micrometer screw (Y) =………

Least count of micrometer screw (LC) = [X/Y] =……… mm

1. DETERMINATION OF FRINGE WIDTH ‘β’

Micrometer reading ‘a’ Micrometer reading ‘b’ Difference of β=
Fringe Fringe 8 fringes Mean Mean/ 8
MS VS Total MS VS Total
No. No. (a~b) (mm) (mm)
(mm) a=MS+(VSxLC) (mm) b=MS+VSxLC
(mm) (mm)

1 9

3 11

5 13

7 15
(Note: MS = Main Scale reading, VS = Vernier Scale division.)

2. DETERMINATION OF D

Position of upright carrying slit (x1) =…… mm

Position of upright carrying eyepiece (x2) =…… mm

Therefore observed value of D (x2 - x 1) =…… mm

3. DETERMINATION OF ‘2d’

At
S. No. 1st position of lens L1
d1 = 2d = √d1d2
Ist Image IInd Image
(a~b) (mm)
MS VS Total MS VS Total (mm)
(mm) a=MS+VSxLC (mm) b=MS+VSxLC
(mm) (mm)

1
At
2nd position of lens L2

S. No. Ist Image IInd Image d2 =

(c~d)
MS VS Total MS VS Total
(mm)
(mm) c=MS+VSxLC (mm) d=MS+VSxLC
(mm) (mm)

Ray diagram: (Should be on left page by pencil)

Calculations: (Should be on left page by pen)

From above tables we found that β = ; 2d = ;D=

Therefore, λ = β 2d / D

Results: From above measurements wavelength of sodium light found to be = …………… (Ǻ).

Calculation for maximum probable error: (Should be on left page by pen)

λ = β 2d / D = β √ d1d2 / D

Taking log on both side and after differentiation we get

Δλ/λ = Δ β / β +1/2(Δ d1 / d1) + 1/2(Δ d2 / d2) + ΔD / D

= ………….

[Note: Δ β = Δ d1 = Δ d2]

Sources of error and precautions:

(i) The slit should be vertical and narrow.

(ii) The setting of the uprights at the same level is essential.

(iii) Fringe shift should be removed and bench error should be taken into account.

(iv) The micrometer screw should be rotated only in one direction to avoid backlash error.

(v) The fringe width should be measured at a fairly large distance.

(vi) Convex lens of shorter focal length should be used (f = 25 cms. Approx.)

(vii) Motion of eyepiece should be perpendicular to the lengths of the bench.

Procedure: (Not necessary to write in the final practical record note book)

Adjustments:

1. Level the optical bench with the help of spirit level.

2. The slit, Bi-prism and micrometer eye piece are adjusted at the same height. The slit, edge of
Bi-prism and the crosswire of micrometer eye piece are made vertical.

3. The micrometer eye piece is focused on crosswire.

4. With an opening provided to the cover of the monochromatic source, the light is allowed to
incident on the slit and the bench is so adjusted that light comes straight along its length. This
adjustment is made to avoid the loss of light intensity for the interference pattern.

5. Place the Bi-prism upright near the slit and move the eye piece sideway. See the two images of
the slit through Bi-prism; if they are not seen, move the upright of bi-prism right angle to the
bench till they are obtained. Make the two images parallel by rotating Bi-prism in its own plane.

6. Bring the eyepiece near to the Bi-prism and give it a rotation at right angle of the bench to
obtain a patch of light. As a matter of fact, the interference fringes are obtained in this patch
provided that the edge of the prism is parallel to the slit.

7. To make the edge of the Bi-prism parallel to the slit, the Bi-prism is rotated with the help of
tangent screw till a clear interference pattern is obtained.

8. The line joining the centre of the slit and the edge of the Bi-prism should be parallel to the bed
of the bench.

Measurements:

(A) Measurement of fringe width:

1. Find out the least count of the micrometer screw.

2. Place the micrometer screw at such a distance where fringes are distinct, bright and widely
spaced, (say 100 cms.)

3. The crosswire is moved on one side of the fringes to avoid backlash error. Now the cross wire
is fixed at the centre of a bright fringe and its reading is noted on the main scale as well as on
micrometer screw.

4. The crosswire is now moved and fixed at the centre of every second bright fringe. The
micrometer readings are noted. From these observations β can be calculated.

(B) Measurement of D:

The distance between slit and eyepiece uprights is noted. This distance gives D. The value of D
is corrected for the bench error.
(C) Measurement of 2d:

The distance 2d between the two virtual sources can be measured with the help of fig 2.

1. To obtain the value of 2d, the positions of slit and Bi-prism uprights are not disturbed.

2. A convex lens is introduced between Bi-prism and eye-piece and moved in between to obtain
two sharp and focused images of the sources. The distance between two images is noted. In the
first position, L1, the distance is denoted by d1.

3. The lens is again moved towards eyepiece to obtain the second position L2 where again two
sharp and focused images are obtained. The distance in this case is denoted by d2. Knowing d1
and d2, 2d can be calculated by using the formula 2d = √ d1d2.