Newton’s rings

Aim : To determine the wavelength of sodium light by Newton’s ring.

Apparatus Required :
A plano-convex lens of large radius of curvature, optical arrangement for Newton’s rings, plane
glass plate, sodium lamp and travelling microscope.

Formula used :
The wavelength λ of light is given by the formula:

λ = D²n+m - D²n
4mR

Where, Dn+m = diameter of (n + m)th ring,

Dn = diameter of nth ring,
m = an integer number (of the rings)
R = radius of curvature of the curved face of the plano-convex lens.

Description of apparatus :
The optical arrangement for Newton’s ring is shown in fig. (1). Light from a
monochromatic source (sodium lamp) is allowed to fall on the convex lens through a broad slit which
renders it into a nearly parallel beam. Now it falls on a glass plate inclined at an angle 45° to the vertical,
thus the parallel beam is reflected from the lower surface. Due to the air film formed by a glass plate and
a plano convex lens of large radius of curvature, interference fringes are formed which are observed
directly through a travelling microscope. The rings are concentric circles.

Figure 1
Theory:
Consider a ring of radius ‘r‘ due to thickness ‘t‘ of air film as shown in the figure (2 ) given below:

In the figure:

Figure 2
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,
𝑟 2 = 2𝑅𝑡

𝑡 = 𝑟 2 ⁄2𝑅 ………….(1)

2𝑡 = (𝐷⁄2)2 /𝑅

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
2 x t x cos(𝜃)

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.

2 x t x cos(𝜃)= λ/2

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 ,

2
𝐷𝑛2 /4R = n x λ and 𝐷𝑛+𝑚 /4R = (n + m) x λ
Subtracting we get

2
(𝐷𝑛+𝑚 −𝐷𝑛2 )
=mxλ
4𝑅
 2
or (𝐷𝑛+𝑚 − 𝐷𝑛2 )
λ=
4𝑅𝑚

An alternative and better method is to plot n (the no. of fringes) along x-axis and D2n on y-axis. Then the
slope of the straight line, tan (ϕ) will give the wavelength as

λ = tan(ϕ) /4𝑅

Here R is the radius of curvature of the lens that can be found with a spherometer using the relation
𝑙2 ℎ
R= +
6ℎ 2

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.

Procedure:

i) If a point source is used only then we require a convex lens otherwise using an extended
source, the convex lens L1 is not required.

ii) Before starting the experiment, the glass plates G1 and G2 and the plano convex lens should
be thoroughly cleaned.

iii) The centre of lens L2 is well illuminated by adjusting the inclination of glass plate G1 at 45°.

iv) Focus the eyepiece on the cross-wire and move the microscope in the vertical plane by means
of rack and pinion arrangement till the rings are quite distinct. Clamp the microscope in the
vertical side.

v) According to the theory, the centre of the interference fringes should be dark but sometime
the centre appears white. This is due to the presence of dust particles between glass plate G2
and plano-convex lens L2. In this case the lens should be again cleaned.

vi) Move the microscope in a horizontal direction to one side of the fringes. Fix up the crosswire
tangential to the ring and note the reading. Again the microscope is moved in the horizontal
plane and the cross wire is fixed tangentially to the successive bright fringes noting the
vernier readings till the other side is reached. This is shown in fig. (2).

vii) The radius of curvature of plano-convex lens is determined by Boy’s method as discussed
below:
 If an object is placed at the principal focus of convex lens placed over a plane mirror, its
image is formed at same point and the distance from the lens is equal to the focal length f of
the lens as shown in fig. (3i).
If the mirror is removed and the object is moved along the axis, a position will come where
the image of the object formed by the lens coincides with object as shown in fig. (3ii). If the
direction of a ray starting from O is such that it is incident normally on the spherical surface,
the ray returns to its previous path and forms the image at the same point. Since the refracted
ray is normally incident on the surface, it appears to come from the centre of curvature C.
Hence in this TO = v = R we have
1 1 1
−𝑢=𝑓
𝑣

1 1 1
−𝑢 = −𝑓
𝑅

1 1 1 𝑓− 𝑢
or =𝑢−𝑓 =
𝑅 𝑢𝑓

𝑢𝑓
.·. 𝑅 =
𝑓− 𝑢
Knowing the value of u, the value of R can be calculated because the value of f is already
known with the help of fig. (3i).

Figure 3

The radius of the curvature can also be determined by using a spherometer. In this case

l2 h
R 
6h 2

Figure 4

where l is the radius between the two legs of the spherometer as shown in fig. (4), h is the difference of
the readings of the spectrometer when it is placed on the lens as well as when placed on plane surface.
Observations :

Value of one division of the main scale = …. cm

No. of divisions on the vernier scale = ….
Least count of the microscope = ….

Table: For the determination of (D²n+m-D²n)

No. of Micrometer reading Diameter D D2 D²n+m-D²n Mean m
the rings Left end Right end (a – b) cm. (a – b) 2
cm2
a cm. b cm. cm2

20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5

Table: For the determination of R :

(Either use Boy’s method or spherometer method)

Using Boy’s method:

S. Position of object Position of lens placed f Position of lens placed u 𝑢𝑓

𝑅 = 𝑓− 𝑢cm
No. on plane mirror cm. on plane mirror
Table – 2: Determination of R
Using spherometer method :
L.C. of spherometer = …. cm.

S. Spherometer Reading h = (b—a) Mean h cm.

No. cm.
Zero reading on plane Reading on lens
surface
M.S. V.S. Total cm. M.S. V.S. Total cm.
(a) (b)

Distance between the two legs of spherometer l = …. cms.

Calculations:

Using Boy’s method:

R = uf /(f-u)
= …cms

Using Spherometer method:

R = (l2 /6h) + (h / 2)
= …. cms

The wavelength of sodium light is given by:

λ = (D2n+m - D²n)/ 4Rm
= …. A.U.

The value of (D²n+m - D²n) can also be obtained using a graph as shown in fig.(5). 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 mean wavelength λ of sodium light = …. A.U.

Standard mean wavelength λ = …. A.U.
Percentage error = …. %
Sources of Error and Precautions :

i) Glass plates and lens should be cleaned thoroughly.

ii) The lens used should be of large radius of curvature.
iii)The source of light used should be an extended one.
iv) Before measuring the diameter of rings, the range of the microscope should be properly
adjusted.
v) Crosswire should be focused on a bright ring tangentially.
vi) Radius of curvature should be measured accurately.

Theoretical error:

In our case, λ = (D²n+m-D²n)/ 4Rm

Taking logarithm of both sides and differentiating

  ( Dn2 m  Dn2 ) R
 
 Dn2 m  Dn2 R

2{Dn m (Dn m )  Dn Dn } R

= 
Dn2 m  Dn2 R

= …. %.

Figure 5