Wave Optics - SS1 Physics Past Questions and Answers - page 3
Diffraction is the bending of light waves as they:
Reflect off a surface
Refract through a medium
Pass through an opening or around an obstacle
Interfere with each other
Diffraction of light is most pronounced when the size of the opening or obstacle is:
Small compared to the wavelength of light
Large compared to the wavelength of light
Equal to the wavelength of light
Irrelevant to the wavelength of light
Which of the following factors does NOT affect the amount of diffraction observed?
Wavelength of light
Size of the opening or obstacle
Distance between the source and the screen
Intensity of the light
When a single slit is used, the resulting diffraction pattern is a:
Single bright spot at the centre
Single dark spot at the centre
Bright central spot surrounded by alternating bright and dark regions
Dark central spot surrounded by alternating bright and dark regions
The phenomenon of interference is closely related to diffraction because
Interference occurs only when light diffracts
Diffraction occurs only when light interferes
Both interference and diffraction involve the bending of light
Interference and diffraction are completely unrelated phenomena
Explain the phenomenon of diffraction of light waves. How does it occur and what factors affect its extent?
Diffraction of light waves refers to the bending of light as it passes through an opening or around an obstacle. It occurs when the size of the opening or obstacle is comparable to or smaller than the wavelength of light. As light waves encounter the edges of the opening or obstacle, they spread out and interfere with each other, creating a pattern of bright and dark regions. The extent of diffraction depends on the wavelength of light and the size of the opening or obstacle. Smaller wavelengths and larger openings or obstacles result in less pronounced diffraction, while larger wavelengths and smaller openings or obstacles lead to more significant diffraction.
How does the diffraction of light waves differ from the interference of light waves? Discuss their similarities and differences.
Diffraction and interference are both phenomena associated with the behaviour of light waves. Diffraction occurs when light waves encounter an opening or an obstacle and spread out, resulting in a bending or bending around the edges. Interference, on the other hand, occurs when two or more light waves superpose and combine, leading to reinforcement or cancellation of the waves. While diffraction involves the bending of light waves, interference involves the interaction of multiple light waves. However, there is a close relationship between diffraction and interference because diffraction is necessary for interference to occur. Diffraction allows light waves to interfere with each other, leading to the formation of interference patterns. In essence, both diffraction and interference demonstrate the wave nature of light and the phenomena resulting from the superposition of light waves.
What is single-slit diffraction?
The spreading out of light waves after passing through a single slit
The interference of light waves after passing through a single slit
The reflection of light waves from a single slit
The absorption of light waves by a single slit
Which of the following factors affects the extent of single-slit diffraction?
The intensity of the incident light
The colour of the incident light
The width of the slit
The distance between the slit and the screen
In a single-slit diffraction pattern, where are the bright fringes located?
At the centre of the pattern
On either side of the central bright spot
Alternating with dark fringes
Only at the edges of the pattern