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JEE Advanced 2016 Paper 2 · Physics · Waves and Sound · medium

A Young's double-slit apparatus is completely immersed in a liquid of refractive index 4/3. The source emits light of vacuum wavelength 600 nm. A…

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A Young's double-slit apparatus is completely immersed in a liquid of refractive index 4/34/3. The source emits light of vacuum wavelength 600 nm600\ \mathrm{nm}. A thin transparent sheet of refractive index 1.51.5 and thickness 7.2 μm7.2\ \mu\mathrm{m} is placed over one slit, perpendicular to the rays. Relative to the fringe pattern before the sheet was inserted, the central bright fringe moves by
  1. A. 66 fringe widths towards the covered slit
  2. B. 22 fringe widths away from the covered slit
  3. C. 1.51.5 fringe widths towards the covered slit
  4. D. 22 fringe widths towards the covered slit
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Answer: (D) 22 fringe widths towards the covered slit

Only the optical path difference matters. The sheet replaces a thickness tt of liquid, so the extra optical path in the covered arm is (μs−μl)t=(1.5−4/3)(7.2 μm)=1.2 μm(\mu_s-\mu_l)t=(1.5-4/3)(7.2\ \mu\mathrm{m})=1.2\ \mu\mathrm{m}. A shift of one fringe corresponds to a path difference of one vacuum wavelength, because the condition for brightness is Δ=nλ0\Delta=n\lambda_0 in terms of optical path. The number of fringes shifted is 1.2 μm/0.6 μm=21.2\ \mu\mathrm{m}/0.6\ \mu\mathrm{m}=2. Since the covered path becomes longer, the point of zero net path difference lies on the side of the covered slit, so the pattern moves towards it. Ignoring the liquid gives (1.5−1)t/λ=6(1.5-1)t/\lambda=6, and using μs/μl−1\mu_s/\mu_l-1 gives 1.51.5; both are wrong.
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