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  • Answer the following questions:

    (a) In a single slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit is made double the original width. How does this affect the size and intensity of the central diffraction band?

     

    (b) In what way is diffraction from each slit related to the interference pattern in a double-slit experiment?

     

    (c) When a tiny circular obstacle is placed in the path of light from a distant source, a bright spot is seen at the centre of the shadow of the obstacle. Explain why?

     

    (d) Two students are separated by a 7 m partition wall in a room 10 m high. If both light and sound waves can bend around obstacles, how is it that the students are unable to see each other even though they can converse easily.

     

    (e) Ray optics is based on the assumption that light travels in a straight line. Diffraction effects (observed when light propagates through small apertures/slits or around small obstacles) disprove this assumption. Yet the ray optics assumption is so commonly used in understanding location and several other properties of images in optical instruments. What is the justification?

Answer the following questions: (a) I | Class 12 Physics Chapter Wave Optics, Wave Optics NCERT Solutions

Q17.

Answer the following questions:

(a) In a single slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit is made double the original width. How does this affect the size and intensity of the central diffraction band?

 

(b) In what way is diffraction from each slit related to the interference pattern in a double-slit experiment?

 

(c) When a tiny circular obstacle is placed in the path of light from a distant source, a bright spot is seen at the centre of the shadow of the obstacle. Explain why?

 

(d) Two students are separated by a 7 m partition wall in a room 10 m high. If both light and sound waves can bend around obstacles, how is it that the students are unable to see each other even though they can converse easily.

 

(e) Ray optics is based on the assumption that light travels in a straight line. Diffraction effects (observed when light propagates through small apertures/slits or around small obstacles) disprove this assumption. Yet the ray optics assumption is so commonly used in understanding location and several other properties of images in optical instruments. What is the justification?

(a) When width (a) of single slit is made double, the half angular width of central maximum which is λ/a, reduces to half. The intensity of central maximum will become 4 times. This is because area of central diffraction band would become 1/4th.

 

(b) If width of each slit is of the order of λ, then interference pattern in the double slit experiment is modified by the diffraction pattern from each of the two slits.

 

(c) When a tiny circular obstacle is placed in the path of light from a distant source, a bright spot is seen at the centre of the shadow of the obstacle. This is because light waves are diffracted from the edge of the circular obstacle, which interferes constructively at the centre of the shadow. This constructive interference produces a bright spot.

 

(d) Bending of waves by obstacles by a large angle is possible when the size of the obstacle is comparable to the wavelength of the waves. On the one hand, the wavelength of the light waves is too small in comparison to the size of the obstacle. Thus, the diffraction angle will be very small. Hence, the students are unable to see each other. On the other hand, the size of the wall is comparable to the wavelength of the sound waves. Thus, the bending of the waves takes place at a large angle. Hence, the students are able to hear each other.

 

(e) The ray optics assumption is used in understanding location and several other properties of images in optical instruments. This is because typical sizes of aperture involved in ordinary optical instruments are much larger than the wavelength of light. Therefore, diffraction or bending of waves is of no significance.

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Study Tips for Answering NCERT Questions:

NCERT questions are designed to test your understanding of the concepts and theories discussed in the chapter. Here are some tips to help you answer NCERT questions effectively:

  • Read the question carefully and focus on the core concept being asked.
  • Reference examples and data from the chapter when answering questions about Wave Optics.
  • Review previous year question papers to get an idea of how such questions may be framed in exams.
  • Practice answering questions within the time limit to improve your speed and accuracy.
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Important Questions & Answers

Why is this answer important for exams?

This question is important because it tests key concepts from the NCERT syllabus and is frequently asked in CBSE exams.

Which NCERT concept is used in this question?

This question is based on core NCERT concepts explained in the chapter and should be revised thoroughly before exams.

What common mistakes should be avoided in this question?

Students often lose marks by skipping steps, writing incomplete explanations, or misunderstanding keywords used in the question.

What is the correct answer to: Answer the following questions: (a) In a single slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit is made double the original width. How does this affect the size and intensity of the central diffraction band?   (b) In what way is diffraction from each slit related to the interference pattern in a double-slit experiment?   (c) When a tiny circular obstacle is placed in the path of light from a distant source, a bright spot is seen at the centre of the shadow of the obstacle. Explain why?   (d) Two students are separated by a 7 m partition wall in a room 10 m high. If both light and sound waves can bend around obstacles, how is it that the students are unable to see each other even though they can converse easily.   (e) Ray optics is based on the assumption that light travels in a straight line. Diffraction effects (observed when light propagates through small apertures/slits or around small obstacles) disprove this assumption. Yet the ray optics assumption is so commonly used in understanding location and several other properties of images in optical instruments. What is the justification??

(a) When width (a) of single slit is made double, the half angular width of central maximum which is λ/a, reduces to half. The intensity of central maximum will become 4 times. This is because area of central diff...

How do you solve Answer the following questions: (a) In a single slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit is made double the original width. How does this affect the size and intensity of the central diffraction band?   (b) In what way is diffraction from each slit related to the interference pattern in a double-slit experiment?   (c) When a tiny circular obstacle is placed in the path of light from a distant source, a bright spot is seen at the centre of the shadow of the obstacle. Explain why?   (d) Two students are separated by a 7 m partition wall in a room 10 m high. If both light and sound waves can bend around obstacles, how is it that the students are unable to see each other even though they can converse easily.   (e) Ray optics is based on the assumption that light travels in a straight line. Diffraction effects (observed when light propagates through small apertures/slits or around small obstacles) disprove this assumption. Yet the ray optics assumption is so commonly used in understanding location and several other properties of images in optical instruments. What is the justification? step by step?

Step-by-step explanation:
• (a) When width (a) of single slit is made double, the half angular width of central maximum which is λ/a, reduces to half
• The intensity of central maximum will become 4 times
• This is because area of central diffraction band would become 1/4th

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