Module 4
Module 4
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Quarter 2 – Week 4
Module 4: Wave Properties of Light
Physical Science
Grade 11/12 Quarter 2 - Module 4: Wave Properties of Light
First Edition, 2020
Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the copyright owners.
Management Team:
Light is an integral part of our life. With light there is sight. We are able to
read this page, to behold the blue sky, the breathtaking red gold sunset at Manila
Bay, fragrant red roses, and the expensive lavender orchid because light is reflected
from them and enters our eye. Without the light from the sun, there can be no
photosynthesis and our mother earth will just be a cold, lifeless mass of rocks drifting
aimlessly in space. Light has revolutionized our communications and medical
practice. Messages are carried thousands of miles by means of optical fibers. Laser,
a special kind of light in our everyday life will continue to increase in the years ahead
with the twenty-first century tagged as the “century of light.”
The Bible gives a vivid account of the origin of light. In the beginning there
was darkness. But the creator commanded, “Let there be light!” and there was light.
But what is light? Is it a particle or a wave? The answer is both. Light is said
to have a dual nature. We may ascribe either wave characteristics or particle
characteristics depending on what property of light we are trying to explain. A
renowned scientist William Bragg once jokingly suggested that light is a wave on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It is a particle on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Saturdays. On Sundays, light rest in paradox and mystery.
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. cite experimental evidence showing that electrons can behave like waves
(S11/12PS-IVg-64);
2. enumerate the wave properties of light; and
3. differentiate dispersion, scattering, interference and diffraction (S11/12PS-
IVh-65)
Jumpstart
de Broglie Wavelength
λ=h/p
The Planck’s constant relates the amount of energy that a photon carries to
the frequency of its electromagnetic wave.
The λ or wavelength shows the wave nature of the electron, while p or the
momentum shows its particle nature.
If you compute for the de Broglie wavelength of a 1200 kg vehicle that moves
at 10 m/s, you will get:
λ=5.53x10−38m.
This wavelength is too small that it can no longer be observed and cannot be
bent even when it encounters an opening. This is true with other macroscopic
objects. However, for microscopic particles like electrons, their wavelengths are also
very small but have the same size as the inter-atomic spacing in crystal solids. This
small inter-atomic spacing can cause electrons, which have small wavelengths, to be
bent or diffracted, a phenomenon associated with waves that encounter a barrier or
small opening. This was proven experimentally by Davisson and Germer.
Davisson and Germer Experiment
They expected that because of the small size of the electrons, they would still
be experiencing diffused reflection even if they hit a smooth surface like that of a
crystal.
Source: https://www.toppr.com/guides/physics/dual-nature-of-radiation-and-matter/davisson-and-
germer-experiment/
To prevent other molecules from hitting the electrons, the setup is placed in a
vacuum chamber. They performed the experiment by bombarding a beam of
electrons coming from an electron gun, which is positioned perpendicularly to a
single crystal of nickel. They measured the intensity of the scattered beam after
hitting the nickel crystal using a movable detector, where a galvanometer is attached.
A galvanometer is a device which detects and measures small electric currents.
They found nothing significant in their experiment until their setup was
broken. When air accidentally entered the setup, the nickel was oxidized. To decrease
the oxide in the pure nickel, extreme heat was applied to the nickel and was used
again to continue the experiment. After bombarding the recrystallized nickel with a
beam of electrons, they observed that the intensity of the scattered beam was at the
maximum at 50°. They noted that this peak in the intensity is where constructive
interference occurs. Constructive interference is a process where two waves meet
and add up.
Recrystallizing the nickel made small holes in the crystal which served as a
diffraction grating. A diffraction grating is an optical device made of glass or metal
with a band of equidistant, parallel lines. When a wave encounters a diffraction
grating, it bends or diffracts. In the experiment of Davisson and Germer, the beam
of electrons that passed through several small holes was diffracted. This diffraction
of electrons shows one of the properties of a wave.
Waves that come from different openings or diffraction gratings, which are the
small holes in the recrystallized nickel, meet and form interference patterns.
Interference is a process where two waves meet. Waves can add up or interfere
constructively. They can also interfere destructively when they cancel each other.
If the electrons exhibit only the behavior a particle, they would produce a
pattern of two bands on a screen after passing through a double slit. However,
electrons also behave like waves and produce an interference pattern of bright and
dark fringes, as shown in the experiments by Davisson and Germer and other
succeeding experiments using modern setups.
The diagram below shows an electron diffraction tube, an instrument used in modern setups
of the experiments that show the wave nature of electrons.
Source:https://www.google.com/search?q=electron+diffraction+experiment+by+da
visson+and+germer&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjX24KjuMfsAhUGe5QKHUWQAwUQ
2cCegQIABAA&oq=electron+di&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgBMgQIABBDMgQIABBDMgII
ADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAA6BQgAELEDOgcIABCxAxBDUO2
OBljDtwZg8M4GaABwAHgEgAG6AYgBrxaSAQQwLjIwmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1
pbWewAQDAAQE&sclient=img&ei=2RSRX5eLEob20QTFoI4o&bih=821&biw=1707#
imgrc=ADlDt7woh595OM&imgdii
1. Dispersion of Light
It was Isaac Newton who first discovered that ordinary white light is a
combination of colors. Newton passed sunlight through a triangular prism that
resulted in sunlight fanning out into a band of colors. The sequencing of colors is
like that of the rainbow.: red(R) at one end merging gradually to orange (O). then
yellow (Y) to green (G), blue (B), indigo (I), and violet (V). Not contented with this
result, he placed a second prism behind the first but in reversed position and found
that the colors recombined to form white light.
Source:https://www.google.com/search?q=newtons+experiment+on+dispersion+of
+light&tbm=isch&chips=q:newtons+experiment+on+dispersion+of+light,online_chip
s:issac+newton&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjRhozAvcfsAhVZAaYKHdZkBcYQ4lYoC
HoECAEQHg&biw=1686&bih=821#imgrc=9RGZAZF7ZBOYeM
The splitting of white light into its constituent colors is called dispersion. The
band of colors produced is called spectrum. The name ROY G. BIV is an easy
mnemonic for remembering the colors in this spectrum.
But how does a prism disperse white light? The index of refraction of a
material varies with the color of light. Red has the longest wavelength but least index
of refraction and is therefore bent the least. On the contrary, violet is refracted the
most. Therefore, red is on top, while violet is at the bottom of the spectrum.
Source:https://www.google.com/search?q=dispersion+of+a+single+droplet+of+wat
er+showing+the+formation+of+the+primary+and+secondary+rainbow&tbm=isch&ve
d=2ahUKEwjnuYXFvcfsAhVoGKYKHcx1ChMQ2cCegQIABAA&oq=dispersion+of+a+s
ingle+droplet+of+water+showing+the+formation+of+the+primary+and+secondary+ra
inbow&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoECAAQQzoFCAAQsQM6BwgAELEDEEM6AggAOgYIA
BAIEB46BAgAEBhQjZNNWMbDT2CX1E9oAHAAeASAAbcCiAGepAGSAQkwLjU0LjQ
1LjOYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ7ABAMABAQ&sclient=img&ei=XhqRXeSMui
wmAXM66mYAQ&bih=821&biw=1686&hl=en#imgrc=vQG4kD4xoCmaiM
Each droplet disperses all colors of light. However, our eyes can only see one
color for each droplet. This depends on the angle between the incident sunlight and
emerging refracted ray. It is 420 for red and 400 for violet. All the other colors lie
between these two values. The total effect produced by all the other droplets is the
primary rainbow.
It is also possible for light to be reflected internally two times before coming
out of the water droplet. When this happens, a less bright secondary rainbow is
produced. The angle between the incident light and the emerging light is 50 0 for red
and 540 for violet. In the primary rainbow, the outer color is red, and the inner color
is violet. For the secondary rainbow, the colors are reversed.
2. Scattering of Light
Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue, the sunset red-orange, and the
clouds white? All these will be explained by another phenomenon associated with
light-scattering.
Scattering occurs when the particles interact with white light, causing the
latter to be redirected from its original path. There are three types of scattering:
Rayleigh, Mie, and nonselective scattering.
a. Rayleigh Scattering
Named after Lord Rayleigh (John William Strutt), Rayleigh scattering occurs
when the scattering particles are small compared to the wavelength of light
interacting with it. These particles are mostly molecules of atmospheric gases. The
amount of scattering is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength.
This means that lights of shorter wavelengths are scattered more than the lights of
longer wavelengths.
Rayleigh scattering accounts for the blue skies and red-orange sunrise and
sunset. When sunlight enters the atmosphere, the violet and the blue light are
scattered the most. However, our eyes are more sensitive to blue than violet light
and, thus, the skies appear blue.
b. Mei Scattering
Mie scattering occurs when the particles are of the same size as wavelength of
light being scattered. Dust, pollen, water vapor, and smoke are common Mie
scattering particles. Mie scattering normally occurs in the lower portion of the
atmosphere.
c. Nonselective Scattering
This type of scattering happens when the particles are much larger than the
wavelength of light. Common particles responsible for nonselective scattering are
water droplets and large dust particles. All wavelengths are scattered almost equally,
causing fog and clouds to appear white.
3. Interference
Perhaps you have noticed the spectrum of colors reflected from a soap bubble,
from an oil slick or gasoline on a wet road, from a compact disc, from silvery scales
of some fishes, from the eye of a peacock feather, and from abalone shells and capiz.
All these colors are produced by interference of light.
Light, just like sound waves, also exhibits the phenomenon of interference and
obeys the principle of superposition. Interference is simply the combination of waves.
The resultant wave when two or more waves in accordance with the superposition
principle. Light waves may interfere constructively or destructively. Constructive
interference results when the waves arrive together at a point in phase, that is, crest
to crest or trough to trough. The result is a reinforced wave of amplitude equal to the
sum of the amplitudes of the two waves. Destructive interference results when the
waves arrive together at a point 1800 out of phase, that is crest to trough. The
resultant wave is of a lesser amplitude equal to the difference of the amplitudes of
the individual waves. If constructive and destructive interference continue occurring
at a point, the light sources must be coherent. Two light sources are said to be
coherent if they maintain a constant phase relation. Lasers are coherent sources of
light while incandescent light bulbs and fluorescent lamps are incoherent sources.
4. Diffraction
Had Thomas Young removed the double slits and just allowed light to pass
through a single slit, he would have seen a broader central bright band with
alternating dark and bright bands on either side. Such pattern is called a diffraction
pattern. With your two fingers barely touching each other, look through them and
you will also see this diffraction pattern.
The amount of diffraction depends on the width of the slit compared to the
wavelength of light. When the slit is considerably larger than the wavelength, very
little diffraction occurs. The diffraction is substantial when the width of the slit is
comparable to the wavelength of light. A perfect analogy for this is the spreading of
water through an opening. The smaller the opening and the greater the wavelength,
the more the water spreads out.
Source:https://www.google.com/search?q=water+passing+through+wide+and+nar
row+openings&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjp1bjp18fsAhVJ5JQKHXSRBS4Q2cCegQI
ABAA&oq=water+passing+through+wide+and+narrow+openings&gs_lcp=CgNpbWc
QAzoFCAAQsQM6BAgAEEM6BwgAELEDEEM6AggAOgYIABAIEB46BAgAEBg6BggA
EAUQHjoECAAQHlC6hFdY6MNYYIzHWGgIcAB4BIABmgSIAbRnkgEOMC4zMS4xMy
4xMi4yLjGYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ7ABAMABAQ&sclient=img&ei=7jWRXm
mHcnI0wT0opbwAg&bih=821&biw=1707&hl=en#imgrc=fi9WICNo8Qv7bM
The analysis of a single slit is like that of a double slit. Diffraction involves
interference of light coming from different parts of the same slit. Each part of the slit
can be considered as an emitter of waves in accordance with Huygen’s principle and
thus, interfere to produce the diffraction pattern.
Fraunhofer diffraction is also called far-field diffraction. The source of light and
screen are infinitely far from the obstacle. Waves entering and leaving the obstacles
are planar. A convex lens is used to converge these light waves.
In 1821, Joseph Fraunhofer developed the diffraction grating. A diffraction
grating is a piece of glass over which thousands of fine parallel lines equally spaced
and very close to one another have been scratched, usually with a diamond point.
The clear spaces between the scratches are the slits. The scratches are considered
opaque; light does not pass through. The distance from the middle of one slit to the
middle of the next slit is called the grating constant.
When the light passes through a diffraction grating, a central bright fringe and
higher-order bright fringes are formed on a viewing screen in accordance with the
equation analogous to the equation for formation bright fringes for a double slit.
However, the bright fringes formed by a diffraction grating are sharper and narrower
than those from a double slit.
Explore
Dispersion 1. 2. 3.
4. Young’s
Double Slit
Experiment
Single slit 5.
6. Mie 7.
Deepen
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answer
on the blank provided before each number.
1. Who among the following theorized that a particle can also exhibit wave
characteristics?
A. Clinton Davisson B. Lester Germer C. Louis de Broglie D. Albert Einstein
2. What part of the de Broglie wavelength shows the particle nature of a photon?
A. p or momentum C. h or Planck’s constant
B. λ or wavelength D. c or speed of light
4. Which of the following equations shows both the wave and particle nature of a
photon?
A. E=mc2 B. p=Ec C. E=hf D. λ=hp
5. Which of the following is the characteristic of the nickel crystal that made the
electrons to diffract in Davisson and Germer's experiment?
A. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is of the same size as the wavelength
of electron.
B. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is greater than the wavelength of
electron.
C. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is lesser than the wavelength of
electron.
D. Electrons are not bent when they pass through the nickel crystal.
6. Which of the following best explains why the experimental setup of Davisson and
Germer should be placed in a vacuum chamber?
A. To prevent the protons from hitting other molecules.
B. To prevent the neutrons from hitting other molecules.
C. To prevent the nickel crystal from hitting other molecules.
D. To prevent the electrons from hitting other molecules.
7. In Davisson and Germer's experiment, which of the following best describes the
area where a peak in the intensity of scattered beam of electrons was observed?
A. It is the area where constructive interference occurs.
B. It is the area where destructive interference occurs.
C. It is the area where constructive diffraction occurs.
D. It is the area where destructive diffraction occurs.
8. If electrons do not exhibit a wave-like nature, which of the following best describes
the pattern that they will produce on a screen when they pass through a double-
slit barrier?
A. interference pattern C. a shadow
B. no pattern D. a two-band pattern
For items 9 and 10, Read the statement inside the box.
After recrystallizing the nickel Davisson and Germer used in their experiment, it was
the time when they found significant results wherein the electrons produced a
diffraction pattern.
10. Which of the following best describes the pattern that electrons produce on a
screen when they pass through a double-slit barrier that exhibit their wave-like
nature?
A. a two-band pattern
B. interference pattern of bright and dark fringes
C. interference pattern of bright fringes
D. interference pattern of dark fringes
11. Which of the following phenomenon is not associated with scattering of light?
A. rainbow formation C. blue sky
B. red-orange sunset D. white clouds
12. Which of the following has the longest wavelength but least index of refraction?
A. Red B. Orange C. Blue D. Violet
14. What do we call to the splitting of white light into its constituents colors?
A. Scattering B. Dispersion C. Inference D. Diffraction
15. Rainbow formation is associated with dispersion. Which of the following is the
correct arrangement of the colors of rainbow?
A. orange, yellow, blue, indigo, red, violet, green
B. red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo, violet
C. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet
D. green, orange, red, violet, yellow, blue, indigo
Gauge
1. C 11. A
2. B 12. A
3. B 13. C
4. D 14. B ACTIVITY 5
5. A 15. C 1. (a) Particles
6. A (b) Yes, because the smoke
7. D exhibits the characteristics
8. D of a wave and a particle.
9. B 2. (a)Spectrum of colors
10.B (b) Inference
ACTIVITY 4 ACTIVITY 3
1. Inference 1. C, Inference
2. Diffraction 2. E, Diffraction
3. Scattering 3. A, Spectrum
4. Rainbow formation 4. B, Scattering
5. Diffraction grating 5. D, Dispersion
6-7. Rayleigh, nonselective
ACTIVITY 2 ACTIVITY 1
The correct arrangement of the 1. DEAL
colors of a rainbow: 2. NO DEAL, Albert Einstein
3. DEAL
• Red 4. NO DEAL, Rayleigh
• Orange scattering
• Yellow 5. DEAL
• Green 6. DEAL
• Blue 7. DEAL
• Indigo 8. DEAL
• Violet 9. DEAL
10.NO DEAL
Key Answers
References
Books
Silverio, Angelina A. Exploring Life Through Science PHYSICS. Phoenix Publishing
House, Inc., 2007
Pavico, Josefina Ma. et al. Exploring Life Through Science Series. Phoenix Publishing
House, Inc., 2013
Websites
https://web.facebook.com/notes/physical-science/87-electrons-can-behave-like-
waves/3250022371680632/?_rdc=1&_rdr