Indian Institute of Technology Patna

Physics Department
PH 201: Tutorial I

1. White light falls normally on a transmission grating that contains 1000 lines per
centimetre. At what angle will red light (λ0 = 650 nm) emerge in the second order
spectrum?
Soln: Grating Eq., dsinθ = nλ
n=2
λ= 650 nm = 6.5 × 10-5cm
d = 1/1,000 lines per cm = 0.001 cm per line
sinθ = nλ/d = (2 × 6.5 × 10-5)/0.001 = 0.13
θ =sin-1(0.13) = 7.4695 = 7.5º

2. Light having a frequency of 4.0 × 1014 Hz is incident on a grating formed with

10,000 lines per centimetre. What is the highest order spectrum that can be seen
with this device?
Soln: Grating Eq., dsinθ = nλ
The largest value of n occurs when the sine function is equal to one, making the
left side of the Eq. as large as possible.
d = nλ
n = d/λ
d = 1/10,000 lines per cm = 0.0001 cm per line
λ = c/υ = (3 × 1010 cm)/(4 × 1014 Hz) = 0.75 × 10-4 cm
n = d/λ =0.0001 cm per line/0.75 × 10-4 cm = 1.333
Only the 1storder spectrum is visible.

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 3. What is the total number of lines a grating must have in order just to separate the
sodium doublet (λ1 = 5896 Å, λ2 = 5890 Å) in the third order?
Soln: ∆λ = (5896 – 5890)Å = 6 Å
R = λ/∆λ = 5893/6 = 982.167
n=3
R = nN
N = R/n = 982.167/3 = 327.389
N = 327

4. Consider a plane wave incident normally on a long narrow slit of width 0.02 cm.
The Fraunhofer diffraction pattern is observed on the focal plane of a lens whose
focal length is 20 cm. Assuming λ = 6000
Å determine the positions of the first
and second minima. Also determine the positions of the first and second
maxima.
Soln: b = 0.02 cm
λ = 6000 Å = 6.0 × 10-5 cm
f = 20 cm
I = I0 (sin2β/β2) β = πbsinθ/λ
Positions of 1st& 2nd minima.

I = 0, when β = mπ , m ≠ 0
sin β
When β = 0, =1 ⇒ I = I0
β
⇒ b sin θ = mλ ; m = ±1, ± 2, ± 3,.....( Minima )
I min θ = ± sin −1 (λ / b)
II min θ = ± sin −1 (2λ / b)

Imin θ = 0.17º IImin θ = 0.34º

Positions of 1st& 2nd maxima.
tanβ = βMaxima

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 Root β = 0 corresponds to central maximum & other roots can be found by
determining points of intersections of curves y = β&y = tanβ. Intersections occur
at β = 1.43π, β = 2.46π, etc. & are known as 1stmaximum, 2ndmaximum, etc.
β = πbsinθ/λ
Imax; 1.43π = πbsinθ/λ
Imaxθ = sin-1(1.43 × 6.0 × 10-5/0.02) = 0.24º
IImax; 2.46π = πbsinθ/λ
IImaxθ = sin-1(2.46 × 6.0 × 10-5/0.02) = 0.42º

5. Consider a diffraction grating with 8000 lines per inch and assume that light of
wavelength 5460 Å and 5460.072 Å illuminates the grating over a region of 2
inch.
a. Calculate the number of orders in the diffracted spectrum.
b. Calculate the dispersion in the third order.
c. In which diffraction orders will the two wavelength components be
resolved?
Soln: d = 8000 lines per inch = 2.54/8000 = 3.175 × 10-4cm
λ1 = 5460 Å; λ2 = 5460.072 Å
λ = (λ1 + λ2)/2 = 5.46 × 10-5cm
(a) Grating Eq., dsinθ = nλ
d = nλ
n = d/λ = (3.175 × 10-4cm)/5.46 × 10-5cm = 5
n=5
(b) Dispersion

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 ∇θ n
=
∇λ d cos θ
nλ 3 × 5.46 × 10 −5
sin θ = = = 0.52
d 3.175 × 10 − 4
θ = 31.33
cos θ = 0.85
n=3
∇θ 3
= ≈ 1.06 µm −1
∇λ 3.175 × 10 − 4 × 0.85
(c) Resolving power

λ 5460.036 A
R= = = 8000
∇λ 
0.072 A
R = nN
N = 2 × 8000 = 16000
R 80000
n= = =5
N 16000
The two wavelengths will be resolved only in 5th order.

6. Consider a plane wave of wavelength 6 × 10–5 cm incident normally on a circular

aperture of radius 0.01 cm. Calculate the positions of the brightest and the
darkest points on the axis.
Soln: Fresnel diffraction due to a circular aperture.
a = 0.01 cm
λ = 6.0 × 10-5 cm
Fresnel half-period zones, radius, an = √λd
(an)2 = nλd
As a increases, the intensity at point P will also increase until the circularaperture
contains the 1sthalf-period zone.
a2 = λd
The brightest point would be at a distance,
a2 = (2n+ 1)λd

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 For n = 0, a2 = λd, d = a2/λ, d = 0.0001/6.0 × 10-5 = 10/6 = 1.66 cm
For n = 1, a2 = 3λd, d = a2/3λ, d = 0.0001/3 × 6.0 × 10-5 = 10/18 = 0.56 cm
For n = 2, a2 = 5λd, d = a2/5λ, d = 0.0001/3 × 6.0 × 10-5 = 10/30 = 0.33 cm
The darkest point would be at a distance,
a2 = 2nλd
For n = 1, a2 = 2λd, d = a2/2λ, (0.01)2/2 ×6.0 × 10-5 = 5/6 = 0.83 cm
For n = 2, a2 = 4λd, d = a2/4λ, (0.01)2/4 ×6.0 × 10-5 = 5/12 = 0.42 cm
For n = 3, a2 = 6λd, d = a2/6λ, (0.01)2/6 ×6.0 × 10-5 = 5/24 = 0.21 cm
7. The output of a He-Ne laser (λ = 6328 Å) can be assumed to be Gaussian with
plane phase front. For w0 = 1 mm and w0 = 0.2 mm, calculate the beam diameter
at z = 20 m. [Ans. 2ω = 0.83 cm & 4.0 cm]
Soln.: λz
γ=
πw02
1/ 2
 λ2 z 2 
w( z ) = w0 (1 + γ ) = w0 1 + 2 4 
2 1/ 2

 π w0 
 1   π 2 w4 
R ( z ) ≡ z 1 + 2  = z 1 + 2 20 
 γ   λz 

8. A Gaussian beam is coming out of a laser. Assume λ = 6000 Å and that at z = 0,

the beam width is 1 mm and the phase front is plane. After traversing 10 m
through vacuum, what will be (a) the beam width and (b) the radius of curvature
of the phase front? [Ans.2ω = 0.77 cm; R(z) = 1017 cm]
Soln.: λz
γ=
πw02
1/ 2
 λ2 z 2 
w( z ) = w0 (1 + γ ) = w0 1 + 2 4 
2 1/ 2

 π w0 
 1   π 2 w4 
R( z ) ≡ z 1 + 2  = z 1 + 2 20 
 γ   λz 

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