Engineering Physics Multiple Choice Questions on “Plane Diffraction Grating”.
1. If a is the width of the slits and b the distance between the slits, then a + b is called as _________
a) Opacities
b) Transparency
c) Grating Constant
d) Grating value
Answer: c
Clarification: The sum of the width of the slits and the distance between the slits is called the grating constant of the grating. It can also be described as the separation between the corresponding point of two adjacent transparencies.
2. The CDs available in the market act as ____________
a) Diffraction grating
b) Reflection grating
c) Transmission grating
d) Do not act as a grating
Answer: b
Clarification: The CDs have microscopic pits on its surface. It splits white light into its constituent colors and thus acts as a reflection grating. It is due to this that rainbow colors can be seen on CD surface.
3. Which of the following is the correct expression for the ratio of the intensity of principal maxima to the intensity of secondary maxima?
a) 1 + (N2-1) sin2β
b) 1/1 + (N2-1) sin2β
c) (N2-1) sin2β
d) 1/(N2-1) sin2β
Answer: a
Clarification: The expression 1 + (N2-1) sin2β is the relation for the ratio of the intensity of principal maxima to that of the secondary maxima. It shows that the intensity of secondary maximas are inversely proportional to N.
4. If there are N number of slits in a grating spectra, then there will be how many secondary maximas?
a) N
b) N – 1
c) N – 2
d) 2N
Answer: c
Clarification: Between any two consecutive principal maxima, there is a set of smaller secondary maxima and minima. Thus, there would be N – 1 secondary minimas and N – 2 secondary maximas.
5. If (a + b) < nλ, then nth order spectrum will be absent.
a) True
b) False
Answer: a
Clarification: We know that according to the grating rule,
(a + b) sinθ = nλ
Now, if (a + b) < nλ then sinθ > 1 which is not possible. Hence, in that case, the nth order spectrum will be absent.
6. The expression for the maximum number of orders in a grating spectrum is given by ____________
a) λ/ (a + b)
b) a/λ
c) b/λ
d) (a + b)/ λ
Answer: d
Clarification: We know that, (a + b) sinθ = nλ
Therefore, n = (a + b) sinθ/λ
Now, as the maximum value for sinθ is 1. Hence,
nmax = (a + b) /λ.
7. What is the relation between the dispersive power, D, of a grating and the order, n, of a spectrum?
a) D ∝ n
b) D ∝ N2
c) D ∝ 1/n
d) D ∝ 1/N2
Answer: a
Clarification: The dispersive power of a grating is given by:
∂θ/∂λ = n/ (a + b) cosθ
Thus, as we can see D ∝ n. Hence, higher the order, higher is the dispersive power.
8. A beam of monochromatic light is incident on a plane transmission grating having 5000 lines/cm and the second order spectral line is found to be diffracted at 30°. The wavelength of the light is _______
a) 4000 Å
b) 5000 Å
c) 6000 Å
d) 7000 Å
