Thinnest film that will give constructive interference for red light

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the thickness of a thin soap film that results in constructive interference for red light, specifically with a wavelength of 752 nm and a refractive index of 1.33. The original poster is attempting to find the thickness where the first red band appears.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply a formula related to thin-film interference but arrives at an incorrect thickness. They express confusion over their calculations and reference a textbook problem that seems similar.
  • Some participants question the validity of the equation used by the original poster and suggest alternative formulations for calculating the thickness.
  • There is a discussion about the phase change upon reflection and how it affects the calculations, with references to different equations and their implications.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, questioning the assumptions made by the original poster, and exploring different equations related to thin-film interference. Some guidance has been provided regarding the correct approach to the problem, but there is still uncertainty about the calculations and the reasoning behind them.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of a specific textbook and a potential discrepancy between the original poster's approach and the instructor's explanation. The discussion includes considerations of phase changes and angles of incidence, which may not be fully resolved.

prettykitty
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Homework Statement



When a thin soap film is very thin, we see it as black. How thick (in nm) is the film
in the region where we see the first red band? Take the wavelength of red light to be 752
nm and the index of refraction of the soap to be n = 1.33.

Homework Equations



[2nt/λ] - 1/2 = m


The Attempt at a Solution



Solving for t:
First with m = 1 I moved the 1/2 over to get 3/2, Then I multiplied 3/2 by the wavelength 752e-9 and divided this result by 2n, n being 1.33.
The answer I attained after solving for t was: 424 nm.
The correct answer is 141 nm.

I still don't know what I'm doing wrong here. I have noticed that if I divide my answer by 3 I get the correct answer, though this may just be coincidence.
Also if anyone is using Walker edition 4, on page 988 the practice problem seems to be this exact same scenario and I am having the exact same problem.
Thanks!
 
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So then the desired equation is 2ndcosθ=(m-.5)λ?
How would I figure out the angle? I thought it was the right equation.

Here is my instructors answer:
If the thickness of the film is t, the difference in phase between a ray reflecting off the
top surface of the film and one reflecting off the bottom surface of the film is (2πn/λ)2t + π
the factor π coming from the phase change on reflection of the ray in air reflecting off
the film. Set this phase change to 2π for the first constructive interference to get that
t = λ/4n = 752/(4 × 1.33) = 141nm.

I don't really understand how he got his answer either even though it is spelled out quite succinctly.
 
prettykitty said:
So then the desired equation is 2ndcosθ=(m-.5)λ?
How would I figure out the angle? I thought it was the right equation.
It's the angle of incidence, so for the OP it's 0.
the difference in phase between a ray reflecting off the
top surface of the film and one reflecting off the bottom surface of the film is (2πn/λ)2t + π
the factor π coming from the phase change on reflection of the ray in air reflecting off
the film. Set this phase change to 2π for the first constructive interference to get that
t = λ/4n = 752/(4 × 1.33) = 141nm.
That's the same equation as I referenced. For the mth constructive interference phase, (2πn/λ)2t + π = 2πm. Rearranging: (2nt/λ) + 1/2 = m. You just had the sign wrong on the 1/2.
 

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