Chapter 24, Wave Optics

CHAPTER 24
Conceptual Questions

C1. In a Young’s double-slit experiment, both the wavelength and the slit separation are
increased by 50%. What happens to the distance between two adjacent bright fringes?

a. It increases by 50%.
b. It decreases by 50%.
c. The distance stays the same.
d. The distance increases by a 100% or more.

C2. In a Young’s double-slit experiment, what happens to the angular separation between the
fringes when the wavelength is increased at the same time that the slit separation is
decreased?

a. It increases.
b. It decreases.
c. It stays the same.
d. The relative sizes of the changes need to be known before a definite answer can be
given.

C3. A Young’s double-slit experiment is performed in air and then the apparatus is submerged in
water. What happens to the fringe separation, and what can be used to explain the change, if
any?

a. The separation stays the as it is the same experiment independent of the medium.
b. The separation decreases because the frequency of the light decreases in the water.
c. The separation increases because the wavelength of the light increases in the water.
d. The separation decreases because the wavelength of the light decreases in the water.

C4. Diffraction grating #1 has half the lines/cm that diffraction grating #2 does. When used with
a certain wavelength of light, both gratings give first order maxima. Which of the following
statements is true for the same wavelength of light.

a. Both gratings must also give second order maxima.

b. Grating #1 must give a second order maximum.
c. Grating #2 must give a second order maximum.
d. It is possible that neither grating gives a second order maximum.

C5. Light travels from outside a building to inside through a pane of glass. Which of the
following is true regarding the phase change upon reflection in the case?

a. No phase change occurs at either the inside surface or the outside surface of the glass.
b. A 180o phase change occurs at both the inside surface and the outside surface.
c. A 180o phase change occurs at the inside surface but not at the outside surface.
d. A 180o phase change occurs at the outside surface but not at the inside surface.

155
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

24.2 Young’s Double-Slit Experiment

1. Interference effects observed in the early 1800s were instrumental in supporting a concept of
the existence of which property of light?

a. polarization
b. particle nature
c. wave nature
d. electromagnetic character

2. If a wave from one slit of a Young’s double-slit set-up arrives at a point on the screen one
wavelength behind the wave from the other slit, what is observed at that point?

a. dark fringe
b. bright fringe
c. multi-colored fringe
d. gray fringe, neither dark nor bright

3. A Young’s double slit has a slit separation of 2.50  105 m on which a monochromatic light
beam is directed. The resultant bright fringes on a screen 1.00 m from the double slit are
separated by 2.30  102 m. What is the wavelength of this beam? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 373 nm
b. 454 nm
c. 575 nm
d. 667 nm

4. Two narrow slits are 0.025 mm apart. When a laser shines on them, bright fringes form on a
screen that is a meter away. These fringes are 3.0 cm apart. What is the separation between
the second order bright fringe and the central fringe?

a. 8.6 cm
b. 6.0 cm
c. 5.3 cm
d. 2.6 cm

5. In order to produce a sustained interference pattern by light waves from multiple sources,
which of the following conditions must be met?

a. Sources are coherent.

b. Sources are monochromatic.
c. Both choices above are valid.
d. None of the choices above are valid.

156
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

6. In a Young’s double-slit interference apparatus, by what factor is the distance between

adjacent light and dark fringes changed when the separation between slits is doubled?

a. 1/4
b. 1/2
c. 1
d. 2

7. In a Young’s double-slit interference apparatus, the distance from the slits to the screen is
doubled. The distance between adjacent light and dark fringes changes by a factor of:

a. ¼.
b. ½.
c. 1.
d. 2.

8. In a Young’s double-slit interference apparatus, by what factor is the distance between

adjacent light and dark fringes changed when the wavelength of the source is doubled?

a. 1/4
b. 1/2
c. 1
d. 2

9. A Young’s double-slit apparatus is set up so that a screen is positioned 1.6 m from the
double slits, and the spacing between the two slits is 0.040 mm. What is the distance between
alternating bright fringes on the screen if the light source has a wavelength of 630 nm? (1 nm
= 109 m)

a. 0.016 m
b. 0.025 m
c. 0.032 m
d. 0.047 m

10. A Young’s double-slit apparatus is set up. A screen is positioned 1.60 m from the double
slits, and the spacing between the two slits is 0.040 0 mm. The distance between alternating
bright fringes is 1.42 cm. What is the light source wavelength? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 710 nm
b. 490 nm
c. 280 nm
d. 355 nm

157
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

11. A Young’s double-slit apparatus is set up where a screen is positioned 0.80 m from the
double slits. If the distance between alternating bright fringes is 0.95 cm, and the light source
has a wavelength of 580 nm, what is the separation of the double slits? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 2.8  105 m
b. 4.9  105 m
c. 5.6  105 m
d. 6.0  105 m

12. A Young’s double-slit apparatus is set up. The source wavelength is 430 nm, and the double-
slit spacing is 0.040 mm. At what distance from the double slits should the screen be placed
if the spacing between alternating bright fringes is to be 2.4 cm? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 1.6 m
b. 2.2 m
c. 2.4 m
d. 2.9 m

13. A light source simultaneously emits light of two wavelengths, 480 nm and 560 nm,
respectively. The source is used in a double-slit interference experiment where the slit
spacing is a 0.040 mm, and the distance between double slits and the screen is 1.2 m. What is
the separation between the second-order bright fringes of the two wavelengths as they appear
on the screen? (1 nm = 109 m)

a. 0.16 cm
b. 0.32 cm
c. 0.48 cm
d. 0.64 cm

14. Waves from a radio station with a wavelength of 600 m arrive at a home receiver a distance
50 km away from the transmitter by two paths. One is a direct-line path and the second by
reflection from a mountain directly behind the receiver. What is the minimum distance
between the mountain and receiver such that destructive interference occurs at the location of
the listener? Assume no phase change on reflection.

a. 150 m
b. 300 m
c. 450 m
d. 600 m

15. Two beams of coherent light are shining on the same piece of white paper. With respect to
the crests and troughs of such waves, darkness will occur on the paper where:

a. the crest from one wave overlaps with the crest from the other.
b. the crest from one wave overlaps with the trough from the other.
c. the troughs from both waves overlap.
d. darkness cannot occur as the two waves are coherent.

158
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

16. After light from a source passes through two

P
slits, a first order bright spot is seen on the wall C
at point P. Which distance is equal to the D B
wavelength of the light?
A

a. the extra distance one beam must travel

b. the distance between beams as they leave the slit
c. the distance of point P from the central point of the interference pattern
d. the distance between slits

17. If the 2nd order fringe in Young’s double-slit experiment occurs at an angle of 45.0°, what is
the relationship between the wavelength  and the distance between slits, d?

a. d = 1.41
b. d = 2.00
c. d = 2.83
d. d = 4.00

18. A Young’s interference experiment is conducted with blue-green argon laser light ( = 515
nm). The separation between the slits is 0.50 mm, and the interference pattern appears on a
screen 3.3 m away. What is the spacing between the bright fringes? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 1.7 mm
b. 3.4 mm
c. 5.1 mm
d. 6.8 mm

19. That light can undergo interference is evidence that it:

a. has electric properties.

b. is made of corpuscles.
c. behaves like a wave.
d. has a phase of 180°.

20. In a Young’s experiment, the paths from the slits to a point on the screen differ in length
causing constructive interference at the point. Which of the following path difference would
cause this constructive interference?

a. 5λ/2
b. 3λ/4
c. 4λ
d. None of the above.

159
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

21. In a Young’s experiment, the paths from the slits to a point on the screen differ in length,
causing destructive interference at the point. Which of the following path difference would
cause this destructive interference?

a. 5λ/2
b. 3λ/4
c. 4λ
d. None of the above.

22. Laser light sent through a double slit produces an interference patter on a screen 3.00 m from
the slits. If the second order maximum occurs at an angle of 12.0°, at what angle does the
eighth order maximum occur?

a. No eighth order maximum occurs.

b. 48.0°
c. 56.3°
d. Not enough information is given.

23. In a Young’s double-slit experiment, how many maxima occur between the 4 th order
maxima?

a. 6
b. 7
c. 8
d. Three more than the number of minima.

24.3 Change of Phase Due to Reflection

24.4 Interference in Thin Films

24. The blue tint of a coated camera lens is largely caused by what effects?

a. diffraction
b. refraction
c. polarization
d. interference

25. What is the minimum thickness of a glycerin film (n = 1.47) on which light of wavelength
600 nm shines that results in constructive interference of the reflected light? Assume the film
is surrounded front and back by air.

a. 75 nm
b. 102 nm
c. 150 nm
d. 204 nm

160
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

26. Light of wavelength 500 nm shines on a soap bubble film (n = 1.46). For what soap film
thickness, other than the minimum thickness, will constructive interference occur?

a. 63 nm
b. 86 nm
c. 172 nm
d. 257 nm

27. A silicon monoxide thin film (n = 1.45) of thickness 90.0 nm is applied to a camera lens
made of glass (n = 1.55). This will result in a destructive interference for reflected light of
what wavelength?

a. 720 nm
b. 558 nm
c. 522 nm
d. 450 nm

28. The dark spot observed in the center of a Newton’s rings pattern is attributed to which of the
following?

a. polarization of light when reflected

b. polarization of light when refracted
c. phase shift of light when reflected
d. phase shift of light when refracted

29. What wavelength monochromatic source in the visible region (390 to 710 nm) can be used to
constructively reflect off a soap film (n = 1.46) if the film is 77 nm thick?

a. 409 nm
b. 430 nm
c. 450 nm
d. 558 nm

30. What wavelength monochromatic source in the visible region (390 to 710 nm) can be used to
constructively reflect off a soap film (n = 1.46) if the film is 240 nm thick?

a. 467 nm
b. 562 nm
c. 587 nm
d. 480 nm

31. A silicon monoxide (n = 1.45) film of 100 nm thickness is used to coat a glass camera lens
(n = 1.56). What wavelength of light in the visible region (390 to 710 nm) will be most
efficiently transmitted by this system? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 400 nm
b. 492 nm
c. 624 nm
d. 580 nm

161
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

32. A silicon monoxide (n = 1.45) film of 270 nm thickness is used to coat a glass camera lens
(n = 1.56). What wavelength of light in the visible region (390 to 710 nm) will be most
efficiently transmitted by this system? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 409 nm
b. 492 nm
c. 522 nm
d. 638 nm

33. A beam of light of wavelength 650 nm is incident along the normal to two closely spaced
parallel glass plates. For what air gap separation between the plates will the transmitted beam
be of maximum intensity? (1 nm = 109 m)

a. 81 nm
b. 163 nm
c. 325 nm
d. 488 nm

34. Two closely spaced parallel glass plates are separated by 750 nm. What wavelength light
source in the visible region (390 nm to 710 nm) will experience maximum transmission
through the two plates?

a. 500 nm
b. 429 nm
c. 600 nm
d. 684 nm

35. Two flat glass plates are in contact along one end and are separated by a sheet of paper 4.0 
106 m thick at the other end. The top plate is illuminated by a monochromatic light source of
wavelength 490 nm. How many dark parallel bands will be evident across the top plate? (1
nm = 109 m)

a. 7
b. 9
c. 13
d. 17

36. Two flat glass plates are in contact along one end and are separated by a sheet of tissue paper
at the other end. A monochromatic source of wavelength 490 nm illuminates the top plate. If
21 dark bands are counted across the top plate, what is the paper thickness? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 2.7  106 m
b. 3.4  106 m
c. 4.9  106 m
d. 5.8  106 m

162
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

37. When light shines on a lens placed on a flat piece of glass, interference occurs which causes
circular fringes called Newton’s rings. The two beams that are interfering come:

a. from the top and bottom surface of the lens.

b. from the top surface of the lens and the top surface of the piece of glass.
c. from the bottom surface of the lens and the top surface of the piece of glass.
d. from the top and bottom surface of the flat piece of glass.

38. The center spot of Newton’s rings is dark. This destructive interference occurs because:

a. the two beams travel distances that are different by half a wavelength.
b. both waves change phase by 180° as they are reflected.
c. one beam changes phase by 180° when it is reflected.
d. both waves have a trough.

39. When light passes from a material with a high index of refraction into material with a low
index of refraction:

a. none of the light is reflected.

b. some light is reflected without a change of phase.
c. some light is reflected with a 180° change of phase.
d. the light that is not reflected has a 180° change of phase.

40. Light is reflecting off a wedge-shaped thin piece of glass producing bright and dark
interference fringes. If a certain location has a bright fringe, a nearby point will have a dark
fringe if the thickness of the glass increases by:

a. 1/8 of a wavelength of the light.

b. 1/4 of a wavelength of the light.
c. 1/2 of a wavelength of the light.
d. one wavelength of the light.

41. Upon reflection, light undergoes a 180° phase change:

a. always.
b. if the incident medium has the higher index of refraction.
c. if the incident medium has the lower index of refraction.
d. whenever the incident angle is less than the critical angle.

42. A soap bubble (n = 1.35) is floating in air. If the thickness of the bubble wall is 300 nm,
which of the following wavelengths of visible light is strongly reflected?

a. 620 nm (red)
b. 580 nm (yellow)
c. 540 nm (green)
d. 500 nm (blue)

163
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

43. A puddle of water (n = 1.33) is covered with a very thin layer of oil (n = 1.20). How thick is
the oil in the region that strongly reflects light with a wavelength of 550 nm?

a. 207 nm
b. 229 nm
c. 458 nm
d. 550 nm

44. A possible means for making an airplane radar-invisible is to coat the plane with an
antireflective polymer. If radar waves have a wavelength of 4.8 cm, and the index of
refraction of the polymer is n = 1.6, how thick would the coating be if a 180° phase change
occurs at both surfaces?

a. 32 mm
b. 24 mm
c. 7.5 mm
d. 6.0 mm

45. A hair is placed at one edge between two flat glass plates. When this arrangement is
illuminated with yellow light of wavelength ( = 600 nm), a total of 121 dark bands are
counted starting at the point of contact between the plates. How thick is the hair? (1 nm =
109 m)

a. 3.6  105 m
b. 1.8  105 m
c. 3.6  104 m
d. 1.8  104 m

46. Newton’s rings:

a. are a sound that light can cause.

b. require oil to occur.
c. are a result of Fraunhofer diffraction.
d. are an interference phenomenon.

47. Two thin layers of material with different indices of refraction are coated on a glass plate.
The outer first material has n1 = 1.404, the inner second material has n2 = 1.531, and the glass
has nglass = 1.62. If light is incident from air on the first layer, what is the phase change for
light that reflects from the glass?

a. 0°
b. 180°
c. 360°
d. 540°

164
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

48. A surface is coated with a material having index of refraction 1.50. If light in air has a
wavelength of 450 nm and is normally incident on this surface, and it is found through
interference effects with this light that the surface is 10 wavelengths thick, which of the
following is the thickness of the surface?

a. 1.5 μm
b. 3.0 μm
c. 4.5 μm
d. 6.8 μm

24.6 Diffraction

24.7 Single-Slit Diffraction

49. A Fraunhofer diffraction pattern is created by monochromatic light shining through which of
the following?

a. single slit
b. double slit
c. triple slit
d. more than 3 slits

50. Light of wavelength 540 nm is incident on a slit of width 0.150 mm, and a diffraction pattern
is produced on a screen that is 2.00 m from the slit. What is the width of the central bright
fringe? (1 nm = 109 m)

a. 0.720 cm
b. 1.44 cm
c. 1.76 cm
d. 2.16 cm

51. Light of wavelength 610 nm is incident on a slit of width 0.20 mm, and a diffraction pattern
is produced on a screen that is 1.5 m from the slit. What is the distance of the second dark
fringe from the center of the bright fringe? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 0.68 cm
b. 0.92 cm
c. 1.2 cm
d. 1.4 cm

52. A Fraunhofer diffraction pattern is produced from a light source of wavelength 580 nm. The
light goes through a single slit and onto a screen 1.0 m away. The first dark fringe is 5.0 mm
from the central bright fringe. What is the slit width? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 0.24 mm
b. 0.12 mm
c. 0.10 mm
d. 0.081 mm

165
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

53. Helium-neon laser light ( = 632.8 nm) is sent through a single slit of width 0.30 mm. What
is the width of the central maximum on a screen 1.0 m in back of the slit? (1 nm = 10 9 m)

a. 2.0 mm
b. 3.1 mm
c. 4.2 mm
d. 5.3 mm

54. In the straight-ahead direction (θ = 0°) in Fraunhofer diffraction, which of the following is
observed on the screen?

a. a minimum equal in width to the adjacent minima

b. a minimum double in width to the adjacent minima
c. a maximum equal in width to the adjacent maxima
d. a maximum double in width to the adjacent maxima

24.8. The Diffraction Grating

55. A multiple slit diffraction grating has a slit separation of 2.00  106 m. Find the wavelength
of the monochromatic light that will have its second order bright fringe diffracted through an
angle of 38.0°. (1 nm = 109 m)

a. 120 nm
b. 500 nm
c. 616 nm
d. 687 nm

56. A diffraction grating with 10 000 lines/cm will exhibit the first order maximum for light of
wavelength 510 nm at what angle? (1 nm = 109 m)

a. 0.51°
b. 0.62°
c. 15.3°
d. 31°

57. What is the highest order maximum for wavelength 450 nm that can be obtained with a
grating with 600 lines per mm?

a. 3
b. 4
c. 6
d. 7

166
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

58. At what angle will the highest order maximum appear for a wavelength 450 nm using a
grating with 600 lines per mm?

a. 36°
b. 54°
c. 81°
d. 90°

59. A wavelength of 573 nm yields a first order maximum at 35° with a grating. At what angle
will the second order maximum appear for this wavelength?

a. 17.5°
b. –35°
c. 70°
d. No second order maximum exists in this case.

60. A diffraction grating has 4000 lines/cm. What is the slit separation?

a. 4.0 μm
b. 2.5 μm
c. 400 nm
d. 250 nm

61. At what angle will the second order maximum occur for a wavelength of 400 nm using a
diffraction grating with 10 000 lines per cm?

a. 15.5°
b. 24°
c. 53°
d. No second order maximum will occur in this case.

24.9 Polarization of Light Waves

62. A beam of unpolarized light in air strikes a flat piece of glass at an angle of incidence of
54.2°. If the reflected beam is completely polarized, what is the index of refraction of the
glass?

a. 1.60
b. 1.39
c. 1.52
d. 2.48

63. Polarization of light can be achieved using a dichroic material like Polaroid by which of the
following processes?

a. reflection
b. double refraction
c. selective absorption
d. scattering

167
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

64. A beam of polarized light of intensity I0 passes through a sheet of ideal polarizing material.
The polarization axis of the beam and the transmission axis of the sheet differ by 30°. What is
the intensity of the emerging light?

a. 0.87 I0
b. 0.75 I0
c. 0.50 I0
d. 0.25 I0

65. When the sun is located near one of the horizons, an observer looking at the sky directly
overhead will view partially polarized light. This effect is due to which of the following
processes?

a. reflection
b. double refraction
c. selective absorption
d. scattering

66. An unpolarized beam of light is incident on a pane of glass (n = 1.56) such that the reflected
component coming off the glass is completely polarized. What is the angle of incidence in
this case?

a. 32.7°
b. 41.0°
c. 49.0°
d. 57.3°

67. At what angle is the sun above the horizon if its light is found to be completely polarized
when it is reflected from the top surface of a slab of glass (n = 1.65)?

a. 31.2°
b. 44.4°
c. 58.8°
d. 66.6°

68. Polaroid sunglasses help when skiing on snow on a sunny day by reducing the sunlight from
the snow. This light from the snow has been polarized by:

a. selective absorption.
b. reflection.
c. double refraction.
d. scattering.

168
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

69. The intensity of unpolarized light passing through a single sheet of polarizing material
changes by a factor of:

a. 1.
b. 0.5.
c. cos .
d. cos2 .

70. Unpolarized light of intensity I0 passes through two sheets of ideal polarizing material. If the
transmitted intensity is 0.25 I0, what is the angle between the polarizer and the analyzer?

a. 60°
b. 45°
c. 30°
d. 22.5°

71. The blue light from the sky has been polarized by:

a. selective absorption.
b. reflection.
c. double refraction.
d. scattering.

72. A material is optically active if it:

a. absorbs light passing through it.

b. transmits all light passing through it.
c. exhibits interference.
d. rotates the plane of polarization of the light passing through it.

73. How far above the horizon is the moon when its image reflected in calm water is completely
polarized? (nwater = 1.333)

a. 53.12°
b. 18.44°
c. 22.20°
d. 36.88°

74. Sunlight reflected from a smooth ice surface is completely polarized. Determine the angle of
incidence. (nice = 1.309)

a. 25.60°
b. 47.89°
c. 52.62°
d. 56.26°

169
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

75. If the polarizing angle for diamond is 67.5°, what is the index of refraction of this material?

a. 2.00
b. 2.20
c. 2.41
d. 2.65

76. The critical angle for sapphire surrounded by air is 34.4°. Calculate the polarizing angle for
sapphire.

a. 60.5°
b. 59.7°
c. 58.6°
d. 56.3°

77. Unpolarized light is passed through polarizer 1. The light then goes though polarizer 2 with
its plane of polarization at 45.0° to that of polarizer 1. What fraction of the intensity of the
original light gets though the second polarizer?

a. 0.707
b. 0.500
c. 0.250
d. 0.125

78. Unpolarized light is passed through polarizer 1. The light then goes though polarizer 2 with
its plane of polarization at 45.0° to that of polarizer 1. Polarizer 3 is placed after polarizer 2.
Polarizer 3 has its plane of polarization at 45° to the plane of polarization of polarizer 2 and
at 90° to that of polarizer 1. What fraction of the intensity of the original light gets though
the last polarizer?

a. 0.707
b. 0.500
c. 0.250
d. 0.125

79. Plane polarized light is sent through two consecutive polarizers, the first having its plane of
polarization in the same direction as the incident light and the second having its plane at 90°
to the original plane of polarization. A third polarizer, with plane of polarization at 30° to
the original plane of polarization, is placed between the two other polarizers. What fraction
of the original intensity now gets through?

a. 0
b. 0.56
c. 0.25
d. 0.19

170
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

80. LCD stands for:

a. linearly collimated diffraction.

b. longitudinally combined depolarization.
c. liquid crystal display.
d. lighted compact disk.

81. A beam of plane polarized light is incident on 3 polarizers, the first with an axis at 30° to the
original plane of polarization, the second at 60° to the original plane of polarization, and the
third at 90° to the original plane of polarization. What angle does the plane of polarization of
the transmitted light make with the original plane of polarization of the original beam?

a. 30°
b. 90°
c. 180°
d. The answer is not given.

171
 Chapter 24, Wave Optics

CHAPTER 24 - ANSWERS
# Ans Difficulty # Ans Difficulty

C1 C 2 39. B 1
C2. A 2 40. B 1
C3. D 2 41. C 1
C4. B 3 42. C 2
C5. D 2 43. B 3
1. C 1 44. C 2
2. B 1 45. A 3
3. C 2 46. D 1
4. B 2 47. B 2
5. C 1 48. B 2
6. B 1 49. A 1
7. D 1 50. B 2
8. D 1 51. B 2
9. B 2 52. B 2
10. D 2 53. C 2
11. B 2 54. D 1
12. B 2 55. C 2
13. C 2 56. D 2
14. A 2 57. A 2
15. B 1 58. B 3
16. A 1 59. D 3
17. C 2 60. B 2
18. B 2 61. C 2
19. C 1 62. B 2
20. C 1 63. C 1
21. A 1 64. B 2
22. C 3 65. D 1
23. B 2 66. D 2
24. D 1 67. A 2
25. B 2 68. B 1
26. D 2 69. B 1
27. C 2 70. B 2
28. C 1 71. D 1
29. C 2 72. D 1
30. A 2 73. D 2
31. D 2 74. C 2
32. C 2 75. C 2
33. C 2 76. A 3
34. A 2 77. C 2
35. D 3 78. D 2
36. C 3 79. D 3
37. C 1 80. C 1
38. C 1 81. B 2

172