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Wedge Shaped Thin Film

An air wedge is formed between two slightly inclined glass plates, creating a thin film of air. When illuminated with monochromatic light, interference occurs between the light rays reflected from the upper and lower surfaces of the air film, producing alternating dark and bright bands of equal width. The thickness of the air film determines the spacing between the interference fringes. An air wedge can be used to determine the thickness of thin objects by relating the fringe spacing to the object thickness. It can also test the optical planeness of a surface by examining the regularity of interference fringes formed between the surface and a flat reference plate.

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1K views2 pages

Wedge Shaped Thin Film

An air wedge is formed between two slightly inclined glass plates, creating a thin film of air. When illuminated with monochromatic light, interference occurs between the light rays reflected from the upper and lower surfaces of the air film, producing alternating dark and bright bands of equal width. The thickness of the air film determines the spacing between the interference fringes. An air wedge can be used to determine the thickness of thin objects by relating the fringe spacing to the object thickness. It can also test the optical planeness of a surface by examining the regularity of interference fringes formed between the surface and a flat reference plate.

Uploaded by

shivam
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  • Air Wedge/Wedge Shaped Thin Film
  • Testing of Optical Planeness of Surfaces
  • Applications of Air Wedge

AIR WEDGE/WEDGE SHAPED

THIN FILM

Let an air wedge be formed between


two glass plates, slightly inclined to each other at an angle q as
shown. Illuminate the wedge by a parallel beam of monochromatic
light. Interference occurs between the rays reflected from the upper
and lower surfaces of the air film. Alternate dark and bright bands
of equal width are observed.

Lett be the thickness of the air film


at a distance x from the edge. From figure,
tanq = t/x
Since q is small, tanq~q
\q = t/x
Or t = qx ----- (1)
Condition for occurrence of a dark band is
2 t cos r = nl
For air film, = 1. For normal incidence, cos r = 1
\2t = nl
Substitutingt from equation (1),
2qx = nl
Or, xn = nl/2q
\ xn+1 = (n+1)l/2q
Fringe width b = xn+1 - xn
= l/2q

For a liquid wedge,


b = l/2q

Applications of air wedge


Determination of thickness (diameter) of thin objects
The given object is placed between two glass plates to form an air
wedge. On illumination, we can see alternate bright and dark bands
with bandwidth b = l/2q

From figure,
q = d/L
\ b = lL/2d
Or, d = lL/2b

Testing of optical planeness of


surfaces
A surface is said to be optically flat if it is plane upto 1/10 th of the
wavelength of light used. In order to test the planeness, we can use
interference fringes obtained from an air film. The surface to be
tested is placed in contact with an optically flat glass plate and the
fringes are viewed. If the fringes of equal thickness are formed, then
the surface is flat. Irregular and distorted fringe pattern is obtained
if the surface is not flat.

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