Deck 19: Diffract and Interference

Question 1

The rainbow seen after a rain shower is caused by:

A) diffraction
B) interference
C) refraction
D) polarization
E) absorption

Answer 1

refraction

Question 2

The shimmering or wavy lines that can often be seen near the ground on a hot day are due to:

A) Brownian movement
B) reflection
C) refraction
D) diffraction
E) dispersion

Answer 2

refraction

Question 3

When 450-nm light is incident normally on a certain double-slit system the number of interference maxima within the central diffraction maximum is 5. When 900-nm light is incident on the same slit system the number is:

A) 2
B) 3
C) 5
D) 9
E) 10

Answer 3

5

Question 4

As more slits with the same spacing are added to a multiple-slit system the lines:

A) spread further apart
B) move closer together
C) become wider
D) becomes narrower
E) do not change in position or width

Question 5

If 550-nm light is incident normally on a diffratction grating and exactly 6 lines are produced. The ruling eparation must be:

A) between 2.75 x10^-7m and 5.50 x10^-7 m
B) between 5.50 x10^-7m and 1.10 x10^-7 m
C) between 3.30 x10^-7and 3.85 x10^-7 m
D) between 3.85 x10^-7m and 4.40 x10^-7 m
E) greater than 4.40 x10^-7 m

Question 6

The dispersion D of a grating can have units:

A) cm
B) 1/nm
C) nm/cm
D) radian
E) none of these

Question 7

The resolving power R of a grating can have units:

A) cm
B) degree/nm
C) watt
D) nm/cm
E) watt/nm

Question 8

A diffraction grating just resolves the wavelengths 400.0 nm and 400.1 nm in first order. The number of slits in the grating is:

A) 400
B) 1000
C) 2500
D) 4000
E) not enough information is given

Question 9

X rays are:

A) electromagnetic waves
B) negatively charged ions
C) rapidly moving electrons
D) rapidly moving protons
E) rapidly moving neutrons

Question 10

The largest x-ray wavelength that can be diffracted by crystal planes with a separation of 0.316 nm is:

A) 0.158 nm
B) 0.316 nm
C) 0.474 nm
D) 0.632 nm
E) 1.26 nm

Question 11

Huygens' construction can be used only:

A) for light
B) for an electromagnetic wave
C) if one of the media is vacuum (or air)
D) for transverse waves
E) for all of these and other situations

Question 12

Interference of light is evidence that:

A) the speed of light is very large
B) light is a transverse wave
C) light is electromagnetic in character
D) light is a wave phenomenon
E) light does not obey conservation of energy

Question 13

In a Young's experiment, it is essential that the two beams:

A) have exactly equal intensity
B) be exactly parallel
C) travel equal distances
D) come originally from the same source
E) be composed of a broad band of frequencies

Question 14

If two light waves are coherent:

A) their amplitudes are the same
B) their frequencies are the same
C) their wavelengths are the same
D) their phase difference is constant
E) the difference in their frequencies is constant