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An experiment is carried out to determine the wavelength of light from a laser - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 10 - 2017

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An experiment is carried out to determine the wavelength of light from a laser. (a) Explain, in terms of waves, how a maximum is formed. (b) The experiment is carr... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:An experiment is carried out to determine the wavelength of light from a laser - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 10 - 2017

Step 1

Explain, in terms of waves, how a maximum is formed.

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Answer

A maximum is formed when waves meet in phase, meaning that the crest of one wave aligns with the crest of another (or trough with trough). This in-phase alignment leads to constructive interference, amplifying the resultant wave's amplitude.

Step 2

Determine the wavelength of the light from the laser used in this experiment.

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Answer

To find the wavelength (λ\lambda), we can use the formula relating the gradient of the graph to the wavelength. The gradient mm can be determined from the graph: m=sin(θ)1dm = \frac{\sin(\theta)}{\frac{1}{d}} Substituting in to calculate gradient gives: λ=4.8×107m\lambda = 4.8 \times 10^{-7} m

Step 3

Determine the angle $\theta$ produced when a grating with a spacing $d$ of $2.0 \times 10^{-6}$ m is used with this laser.

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Answer

Using the same formula as before, we rearrange to get: sin(θ)=md\sin(\theta) = m \cdot d Given d=2.0×106d = 2.0 \times 10^{-6} m and using the previously calculated wavelength: sin(θ)=4.8×1072.0×106=0.24\sin(\theta) = \frac{4.8 \times 10^{-7}}{2.0 \times 10^{-6}} = 0.24 From the graph, θ14\theta \approx 14^{\circ}.

Step 4

Suggest two improvements that could be made to the experiment to improve reliability.

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Answer

  1. Repeat measurements to ensure accuracy and consistency.
  2. Use additional gratings to gather more data points, which can help in refining the results.

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