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65
Experiment-22
NEWTONS RINGS
Dr S P Basavaraju
Dept. of Physics, Bangalore Institute of Technology, K R Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore-560004, INDIA
Abstract
The light interference phenomenon is observed as Newtons Rings. The various optical accessories
used in the observations are studied. A travelling microscope is used to determine the diameter of
the rings. The ring number versus square of the ring diameter plot gives a straight line. From the
slope of the straight line the radius of curvature of the plano-convex lens used for producing
Newtons rings is determined.
Introduction
Newtons rings were first observed by Robert Hooke [1]. Sir Isaac Newton provided the relevant
theory based on the wave theory of light in the 17th century. Light interference is the result of
reinforcement and cancellation of light waves as shown in Figure-1.
Figure-1 a) Two smaller waves with same phase reinforce to get a bigger wave
b) Two waves of equal amplitude and opposite phase collapse on each other and vanish totally
In Figure-1 a) two light waves of equal amplitude and wavelengths add or reinforce to get a wave of
bigger amplitude. In this case the crests of one wave coincide with the crests of the other. Such
reinforcement is called constructive interference. Figure-1 b) indicates that the crests of one wave fall
on the troughs of the other thus canceling each other. Such interference is called destructive
interference Constructive and destructive interferences are responsible for the formation of Newtons
rings.
To observe Newtons rings we require an optically plane glass plate and a plano-convex lens as shown
in Figure-2. Over the glass plate the plano-convex lens is placed with its curved surface resting on it.
In the intermediate space between the plate and the lens, an airbed of varying thickness radially and
symmetric around the point of contact, appears to be sandwiched in a plane parallel to the glass plate.
In the airbed, A and B are two equidistant points from the axis OOof the lens. Each group of such
eqidistance points form a geometrical ring through whose center the axis passes.
Vol-2, N0-1, June 2002
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A monochromatic light falling normal to the lens undergoes partial reflection and transmission both at
the curved surface of the lens and at the surface of the glass plate. As a result we will have reflected
rays coming up from every point in the plate and also from every point on the curved surface of the
lens. But each group of light waves coming up from the same geometrical ring will have same phase
difference and will be subjected to same interference condition, either constructive or destructive. The
total visual effect of interference at all the points results in the appearance of Newtons rings. Light
waves emerging with constructive interference results in bright ring set and since light waves do not
emerge during destructive interference it results in dark ring set. There are light waves emerging with
phase difference other than these two extremes. They contribute to the varying intensity of the ring, i.e.
the intermediate region between maxima of a bright ring to maxima of the next dark ring.
A geometrical ring
equidistance points
from the axia OO
Plano-convex
. .
glass plate
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(a)
(b)
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Lab Experiments
Figure 5 shows anther type of optical accessories, which is used along with general-purpose
microscope. While using this set-up sodium vapor lamp is kept at a distance of 2 to 3 ft away from the
microscope. The optical accessories shown in Figures 4 and 5 are generally called as bottom portion of
Newtons ring apparatus. When the bottom portion shown in Figure 4 is made use of, the center dark
spot of the Newtons rings can be made clearer by adjusting the screws of the mount of lens assembly..
This provision is not available in the bottom portion shown in Figure 5.
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Apparatus Used
A Newtons ring microscope set with three motion travelling microscope, a circular glass plate of
45mm dia, plano convex lens of about 250cm radius of curvature, glass reflector, and 35 Watt sodium
vapor lamp.
Experimental Procedure
1. The circular glass plate and the plano-convex lens are identified and the plano-convex lens is
placed above the glass plate with its convex surface resting on the glass plate. The assembly is then
placed inside the cup of the bottom portion and its cap is inserted.
2. The light from a sodium vapor lamp is reflected on the lens assembly by orienting the turning glass
plate to 45-degree inclination to the incident light. This gives a bright illumination in the field of
view in the microscope. Then by moving the microscope to the focusing height above the lens, the
Newtons rings become visible. If the center of the ring system is not dark, then the cap of the cup
(or the screws) is adjusted to a proper grip until the center dark ring is observed.
3. By operating the head scale drum the intersection of the cross wire is made to coincide with the
center of the ring system which is a dark patch. The eyepiece is rotated to make one of the crosswires align in the direction parallel to the scale of the travelling microscope.
4. By rotating the head scale drum, the cross-wires are moved towards to the left from the center
while counting the ordinal number of only the dark rings, till the 12th ring is reached. Now,
reversing the direction of rotation the cross wire is coincided with the 10th ring and the microscope
reading is noted in Table-1.
5. Continuing in the same way the cross wire is coincided with the left side of the 9th, 8th rings, up to
the 1st ring and the reading corresponding to each is noted in Table-1.
6. Now the readings corresponding to first ring on the right side of ring pattern is noted and recorded
in Table-1. This is continued till the 10th ring on the right side.
7. By taking the difference of microscope readings of the respective rings from the left side and right
side readings in Table-1, the diameter d of the rings are calculated.
8. A graph is drawn taking square of the diameter on the Y-axis and ring number on the X-axis as
shown in Figure-6. From the straight-line graph the slope is calculated and radius of curvature is
determined by making use of the equation
Slope
R = ----------4
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Ring
Number
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Table-1
Microscope Reading
Diameter d
d2(mm2)
(mm)
Left
Right
40.45
48.02
7.57
57.30
40.68
47.95
7.27
52.85
40.85
47.76
6.91
47.74
41.02
47.61
6.59
43.42
41.20
47.37
6.17
38.06
41.30
46.42
5.12
26.21
41.57
46.12
4.55
20.70
41.95
45.89
3.94
15.52
42.31
45.48
3.17
10.04
43.05
45.10
2.05
4.20
Microscope readings and diameter of the rings
Diameter square
80
60
40
20
0
0
10
15
Results
Radius of curvature of the plano-convex lens = 229cms.
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Discussions
1.
Newtons rings are observed and the radius of curvature of the lens is determined. As the value
of radius of curvature is fairly large, this method may be considered as an accurate method for
R measurements. It may be noted that, through a spherometer could be used to measure R, it
fails to give accurate results when the value of R is large.
2.
The accuracy of the measurement can be ascertained in the following way. The thickness of
the dark fringe forming the 1st ring is measured to be equal to 0.011mm. Error occurs
depending upon the displacement of the cross wire from the correct position. Maximum error
that can get in to the measurement will be half of the thickness i.e. 0.055mm. An inaccuracy of
0.055mm in the diameter value of 3.17mm results in an error of about 1cm in the value radius
of curvature which is less than 0.5%
References
1.
2.
Khanna and Gulati, College Practical Physics, R. Chand & Co, 1999, Page- 218
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges M/s Friends Scientific and Laboratory Instruments Company, Ambala
Cantt, manufacturer of Newtons ring microscope, which is used in this experiment.