Constructive/Destructive Interference in a Thin Oil Film

In summary, the conversation is about a thin film interference question involving an oil film floating on a water body in an air environment. The goal is to find the minimal non-zero thickness of the film and the two smallest possible thicknesses for an oil film on sapphire. The discussion also includes questions about the number of possible thicknesses and which wavelengths to use in calculations.
  • #1
Quattad
2
0
Moved from a technical forum, so homework template missing
Hi PhysicsForums,

Here's a thin film interference question I'm having problems with.

An oil film (n=1.50) floats on a water body (n=1.33) in an air environment. Normal incident white light is reflected by the oil film. But in the spectrum of reflected light, 500nm and 700nm light are missing.

(a) Find the minimal non-zero thickness of the film.
(b) If an oil film is on sapphire (n=1.78) instead of water and the 500nm and 700nm wavelengths of light are still missing, find the two smallest possible thicknesses of the film.Please find attached for my workings.

For part (a), if two wavelengths are missing due to destructive interference of the reflected rays, shouldn't there be two possible thicknesses of the film as well?
For part (b), I'm not too sure whether to use 500nm or 700nm to find out the two minimum thicknesses.

Any possible insight will be greatly appreciated!
 

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  • #2
Quattad said:
My workings so far are in the following link https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ersklrGbQlcnAza3l1VW1hTjg/view
Please post them here, not in a file on an external server.
 
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1. What is constructive and destructive interference in a thin oil film?

Constructive interference occurs when two or more waves in the thin oil film meet at a point and their amplitudes add together, resulting in a stronger wave. Destructive interference occurs when two or more waves meet and their amplitudes cancel each other out, resulting in a weaker wave.

2. How does the thickness of the oil film affect constructive and destructive interference?

The thickness of the oil film determines the path length difference between the waves and can either enhance or diminish the interference. For constructive interference, the path length difference should be an integer multiple of the wavelength of the incident light. For destructive interference, the path length difference should be a half-integer multiple of the wavelength.

3. What factors affect the intensity of the interference pattern in a thin oil film?

The intensity of the interference pattern in a thin oil film is affected by the thickness of the film, the refractive index of the oil and the surrounding medium, and the wavelength of the incident light. In addition, the angle of incidence and the polarization of the light can also impact the intensity of the interference pattern.

4. How does the color of the thin oil film change with constructive and destructive interference?

The color of the thin oil film is determined by the thickness of the film and the interference pattern. For constructive interference, the film appears bright and colorful due to the addition of the wave amplitudes. For destructive interference, the film appears dark and may have a rainbow-like sheen due to the cancellation of the wave amplitudes.

5. What practical applications does understanding constructive and destructive interference in a thin oil film have?

Understanding constructive and destructive interference in a thin oil film has various practical applications, such as in the production of thin-film coatings for lenses and displays. It is also used in the analysis of materials and the study of optical properties. Additionally, it has applications in the food and beverage industry for color analysis and quality control.

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