Objective: Observe Newton’s rings in monochromatic light
Newton’s rings are generated by a set-up involving a flat glass plate and a spherical body with a large radius of curvature. If parallel monochromatic light is incident on the set-up from an angle normal to the apparatus, alternating light and dark concentric rings are generated, centred on the point where the surfaces meet. In this experiment Newton’s rings are investigated using monochromatic light transmitted through the apparatus. The radius of curvature R of the spherical body can be determined from the radii r of the interference rings as long as the wavelength λ is known.
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