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Date November 2013 Marks available 3 Reference code 13N.3.HL.TZ0.11
Level Higher level Paper Paper 3 Time zone Time zone 0
Command term Calculate Question number 11 Adapted from N/A

Question

This question is about wedge fringes.

A glass microscope slide of length 6.0cm is placed on a glass plate and illuminated using a monochromatic source of light of wavelength 590nm. A hair is trapped at one end of the slide forming an air wedge between the glass plate and the slide.

An observer viewing the microscope slide at near-normal incidence measures the fringe spacing to be 0.29 mm. Calculate the thickness of the hair.

Markscheme

there are 600.29 fringes=207;
2×1×t=207×5.9×10-7;
t=61(μm);

or

(tanθ=)16.0(cm)=0.5λΔx;
t=[0.06(m)×0.5×5.9×107(m)]0.00029(m);
t=61(μm);
A phase change of 12λ, if seen in working, can be ignored and does not affect the answer.
Award [3] for a bald correct answer.

Examiners report

[N/A]

Syllabus sections

Additional higher level (AHL) » Topic 9: Wave phenomena » 9.3 – Interference
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