ELEMENTS OF PHYSICS I
Physics 221

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CHAPTER 24
The wave nature of light

NEW CONCEPTS

FORMULAS

wavelength in medium of index of refraction n:

\begin{displaymath}\lambda = \lambda_{vacuum} / n\end{displaymath}

Double-slit experiment: constructive interference:

\begin{displaymath}\sin\theta = m{\lambda\over d}\end{displaymath}

destructive inteference:

\begin{displaymath}\sin\theta = \left( m + {1\over 2} \right) {\lambda\over d}\end{displaymath}

where m = 1,2,3,....

Half-width of central maximum for narrow slit of width D:

\begin{displaymath}\sin\theta = {\lambda\over D}\end{displaymath}

Completely plane-polarized light by reflection if incident angle is

\begin{displaymath}\tan\theta_P = n\end{displaymath}

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