Wave Optics — Flashcards
Maharashtra Board · Class 12 · Physics
24 flashcards for Wave Optics (Maharashtra Board Class 12 Physics) to test yourself on key terms and facts. Sample: "What is a wavefront and how is it.
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What is a wavefront and how is it related to the direction of wave propagation?
Answer
A wavefront is the locus of all points having the same phase at a given instant of time. For example, in water waves from a stone dropped in still water, the wavefront is circular. The direction of wa…
State Huygens' Principle and explain its significance in wave optics.
Answer
Huygens' Principle states that each point on a wavefront acts as a secondary source of light emitting spherical wavelets in all directions with the speed of light in the medium. The new wavefront is t…
Derive the law of reflection using Huygens' principle.
Answer
When a plane wavefront AB is incident at angle i on a reflecting surface, point A reaches the surface at t=0 and B at time T. Using Huygens' principle, secondary wavelets from A have radius vT at time…
Derive Snell's law using wave theory and explain the relationship between wavelength and refractive index.
Answer
For refraction at a plane boundary: sin i/sin r = v₁/v₂ = n₂/n₁, giving n₁ sin i = n₂ sin r (Snell's law). The wavelength changes in different media: λ₂ = λ₁(v₂/v₁) = λ₁(n₁/n₂). In a medium with refra…
What is polarization of light and how does unpolarized light differ from polarized light?
Answer
Polarization is the phenomenon of restricting the oscillations of the electric field of light to one particular direction perpendicular to the direction of propagation. Unpolarized light has electric …
State and derive Malus' law for the intensity of polarized light passing through an analyzer.
Answer
Malus' law states: I₂ = I₁ cos²θ, where I₁ is intensity of incident polarized light, I₂ is transmitted intensity, and θ is angle between polarization axes of polarizer and analyzer. When unpolarized l…
What is Brewster's angle and derive Brewster's law?
Answer
Brewster's angle (θB) is the angle of incidence at which reflected light is completely plane polarized. At this angle, reflected and refracted rays are perpendicular. From geometry: θB + θr = 90°. Usi…
Define coherent sources and explain why they are essential for interference.
Answer
Coherent sources are sources that emit waves of the same frequency with a constant phase difference (independent of time). They are essential for sustained interference patterns because: 1) Same frequ…
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