Chapter 5: Q7DQ (page 1151)
When a room has mirrors on two opposite walls, an infinite series of reflections can be seen. Discuss this phenomenon in terms of images. Why do the distant images appear fainter?
Distant images appear fainter because each image acts as an object for the other mirror and so on.
Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!
All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.
Get started for free
Light of wavelength and frequency v passes through a single slit of width a. The diffraction pattern is observed on a screen a distance x from the slit. Which of the following will decrease the width of the central maximum? (a) Decrease the slit width; (b) decrease the frequency v of the light; (c) decrease the wavelength of the light; (d) decrease the distance of the screen from the slit. In each case justify your answer.
An interference pattern is produced by eight equally spaced narrow slits. The caption for Fig. 36.14 claims that minima occur for f =, , and/4. Draw the phasor diagram for each of these four cases, and explain why each diagram proves that there is in fact a minimum. In each case, for which pairs of slits are there totally destructive interference?
Does it make sense to talk about the polarization of a longitudinal wave, such as a sound wave? Why or why not?
Sunlight or starlight passing through the earth’s atmosphere is always ben toward the vertical. Why? Does this mean that a star is not really where it appears to be? Explain.
The focal length of a simple lens depends on the color (wavelength) of light passing through it. Why? Is it possible for a lens to have a positive focal length for some colors and negative for others? Explain.
What do you think about this solution?
We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.
