DivisionofTechnicalEducationandManagementStudies

AppliedEngineeringScience ESC103

PassExamQuestion Spring2009
Interference

Summer 2003
a) Explain three pieces of evidence that support the wave mature of light
b) Explain why does a prism separate light into the various colours.
c) Explain why a person can see through the door of a microwave oven yet the microwaves
cannot escape the oven space.

d) In a ripple tank experiment, water waves with
their crest parallel and 2,5cm apart are made
to move towards two narrow slits 5.0 cm apart
on a barrier as shown in the diagram on the
right. If the end of the tank is 2.5m away from
the barrier, how far away from the point X
would you expect to observe little or no wave
action.

Spring 2004
a) Two identical speakers emitting identical waves are
located 1.4 meters apart in a straight line from a
listener 35 meters as shown on the diagram. If the
wavelength is gradually increased, the listener finds
that that at certain wavelengths the sound seems to
appear very loud.
i) Clearly explain why the sound seems to
increase in volume at certain wavelengths and not at others.

ii) What is the lowest wavelength at which the loudest sound will be observed? At
what other frequencies will the same effect be observed?
iii) If the speaker B is moved to a point along the wall, calculate the point X at which
no sound will be observed.
b) Why do residence in mountainous terrain receive AM transmission better than FM
transmission.

Spring 2007
Two radar transmission towers located 6.4 km apart emit identical signals of wavelength 420
meters. A ship located at a point 30 km equidistant from the
towers experiences a strong signal from the towers. However,
as it sails parallel to the line of the towers it experiences an
alternating diminishing and re-strengthen of the signal strength.
a) Calculate the distance between the points of maximum
signal strength.
b) What would be the effect on the distance between strong
signals if:
i. The distance between the towers was decreased
ii. The ship was a greater distance away from the
towers
iii. The signals had a longer wavelength

c) Given that the wavelength of the signal emitted by the towers is 450m , then
i. What is its frequency?
ii. Name the frequency band this signal would classified as.



Summer 2004
a) State Huygens Principe, what is it used for and illustrate one example of how it is
applied to explain the following concepts:
i. Diffraction
ii. Interference
iii. Polarization

b) In a reproduction of Young double slit experiment a student found that varying certain
aspects of the experiment results in corresponding effects on the fringes. What would be
the effect of varying the following aspects?
i. Increasing the wavelength of light
ii. Increasing the separation of the slits
iii. The distance between the slits and screen.

c) A screen containing two slits 0.100 mm apart is 1.50m from the viewing screen. Blue
light, red light and yellow light is directed on to the slits. Calculate the distance between
the central bright fringe and the first bright interference fringe resulting from each colour.
Wavelength of blue light
blue
= 475nm,
Wavelength of yellow light
yellow
=570nm
Wavelength of red light
red
=650nm