Calculating Maxima in 1-D Wave Interference with a Half-Silvered Mirror

  • Thread starter Thread starter XJellieBX
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Interference Wave
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
2 replies · 2K views
XJellieBX
Messages
39
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Monochromatic light of wavelength [tex]\lambda[/tex] = 400 nm enters at A. It impinges on a ‘half-silvered mirror’ B, which directs some of the light to mirror C, while passing the rest to mirror D. Some of the reflected light from mirror C passes back through the half-silvered mirror, where it combines with reflected light from D, arriving at the detector. Mirror C is attached to a micrometer, so that it can be moved to change the path length B − C − B.
If mirror C is moved through 10 microns (1 micron is 10−6 m), how many maxima will be
observed at the detector? Assume that the intensity at D is intially a minimum.


Homework Equations


D(x,t)=asin(kx-wt+[tex]\phi_{0}[/tex]


The Attempt at a Solution


I'm actually not sure how to approach this to begin with, so any advice is appreciated. I've also attached a copy of the diagram. I'm thinking this might have something to do with the path length being x1 and x2
 

Attachments

  • interferometer.jpg
    interferometer.jpg
    6.3 KB · Views: 508
Physics news on Phys.org
So if I find how many wavelengths that is, which i did find, i can figure out the number of maxima. I'm just not too sure if that is all this question is asking for, but thank you nevertheless =)