CBSE Class 12 · 2003 · Wave OpticsShort Answer

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What is a wavefront? What is the geometrical shape of a wavefront of light emerging out of a convex lens, when a point source is placed at its focus? Using Huygens' principle show that, for a parallel beam incident on a reflecting surface, the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.

Solution

the locus of all points of a medium oscillating in the same phase.
a point source at the focus of a convex lens produces a parallel emergent beam, so the emergent wavefront is .
let a plane wavefront strike a reflecting surface , with reaching the surface first. While the secondary wavelet from travels a distance in the medium, the disturbance at travels to the surface. Draw the reflected wavefront (tangent to the wavelet of radius centred at ).

Hence the triangles are congruent, giving , i.e.

so the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

CBSE Class 12 Board · 2003 · Subjective

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